The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez with the sixth overall selection in the 2025 Amateur Draft. With last year’s selection of Konnor Griffin, this marks the second consecutive year the Pirates chose a high schooler in the first round.
Pirates Draft Seth Hernandez 6th Overall
Well, this one certainly fell out of left field, thanks to two earlier under-slot picks. Few had the Pirates selecting a high school pitcher with their pick, but here we are. He’s a right-handed pitcher out of Corona High School, a hotbed for major league prospects. It’s produced four draft choices in the past, the best known of which is Joe Kelly. There are four projected to go in this year’s draft. Hernandez was ranked first among them and No. 3 in the entire draft according to MLB Pipeline. The six-foot-four, 190-pound right-hander is committed to Vanderbilt. However, the slot money allocated to a sixth overall pick should persuade him to begin his professional career right away.
With the sixth pick of the 2025 #MLBDraft, the @Pirates select RHP Seth Hernandez from Corona (CA) High School. pic.twitter.com/ntluDdeGlM
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2025
At age 19, he’s considered “old” for a high school prospect, but that obviously didn’t deter the Pirates. Hernandez features a fastball, curveball, hard slider, and changeup. The fastball touches 98 mph. His changeup is advanced far beyond his years and could quicken his path to the majors. Tight situations don’t rattle him. He’s a good athlete who also played the outfield in high school. He’s a fast runner who completes the 60-yard dash in 6.75 seconds. As a hitter, he impacted the ball in high school. However, professional baseball has few two-way players not named Shohei Ohtani. He’ll be strictly a pitcher from now on.
Pirates fans may have preferred a college hitter who was closer to the majors. Nevertheless, it’s no surprise to see general manager Ben Cherington stick to his philosophy and draft the best player available. Once Hernandez fell to No. 6, this was too good an opportunity to pass up.
The Last Word
Cherington’s work isn’t done. Now he pivots back to the trade deadline in search of possible deals to improve his floundering ball club. The Pirates organization needs improvement at both the major and minor league levels, making July a crucial month for the beleaguered executive.
Main Photo Credit: © Brett Davis-Imagn Images
