The Pittsburgh Pirates recently promoted 2025 first-round pick Seth Hernandez to High-A Greensboro. This comes after the young right-hander did nothing but mow down opposing A-Ball hitters while pitching for the Bradenton Marauders. However, Hernandez is one of the most talented pitching prospects the Pirates have ever had. The question on everyone’s mind now is, when will Hernandez get to Double-A Altoona?
When will the Pirates promote Seth Hernandez to Double-A?
Dominance at A-Ball
Hernandez more than deserved the promotion. He was a nightmare for A-Ball batters to deal with. In 28 innings, the right-hander allowed just three earned runs. He struck out nearly half of the batters he faced with a 48.1% K%. When batters swung, there was more than a 50/50 chance they missed, as he put up a 52.1% whiff rate. Hernandez had no problems locating either, with a strong 6.7% BB%. He currently has the 2nd-best ERA and FIP, the 3rd-best WHIP, and the best K-BB%.
There’s no doubt that Hernandez has the stuff to move up the minor league ladder quickly. His fastball sits 96-97 MPH and topped out at 100.5 MPH. Baseball America grades out all four of his offerings as a 55 (above average) or better. His fastball (65-grade) and his changeup (70-grade) both project as potentially elite offerings, according to Baseball America. On top of that, his elite velocity plays up even more because of his 7.1 feet of extension off the mound. He can do all that with above-average control.
Does Hernandez Have a Player Comparison
Many fans will immediately compare Hernandez’s current situation to that of Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin. Griffin was the Bucs’ 2024 first-round high school pick, and started the year out at Bradenton, all of which are similar circumstances to Hernandez. However, while Hernandez was promoted to High-A in early May, Griffin did not receive a promotion to Greensboro until early June, nearly a month after Hernandez’s first promotion. Griffin then got promoted to Double-A in mid-August. Obviously, it is not a one-for-one situation. Hernandez is a starting pitcher, while Griffin is an everyday position player. However, if the right-handed pitcher takes a similar amount of time to reach Double-A, he’ll get there by July.
Another player many will compare Hernandez to is Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Again, the similarities are there, given that both were first-round picks (Skenes was selected first overall in 2023), and both were extremely highly touted right-handed pitchers. However, there are even more differences here than between Griffin and Hernandez. While Hernandez was considered one of, if not the best, high school pitchers to ever enter the draft, Skenes was considered one of, if not the best, college pitchers to enter the draft. Skenes barely pitched in the minor leagues, tallying just 34 innings from the time he signed with the Pirates until his MLB debut.
It’s hard to even compare him to former high-end high school pitchers, like Jameson Taillon, Hunter Greene, and Josh Beckett (a player Hernandez received comparisons to at the time of the draft). Not only did Taillon and Beckett get drafted in very different eras, but Taillon and Greene both suffered major injuries before making their MLB debut. Plus, Hernandez looks more talented than any of the three at the same ages. Hernandez is very unique, given his level of talent at such a young age, and the astounding start to his pro career.
When Will He Reach Double-A?
If Hernandez continues to pitch anything as he has at Bradenton and Greensboro, he’ll reach Altoona by the trade deadline. His talent is too exemplary to keep him at one level for too long. He looked unchallenged at Bradenton, so much so that he may not face a tough challenge until he reaches Double-A. Hernandez certainly has the potential to become one of the fastest-rising high school-drafted pitching prospects in the sport’s history.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
