MLB’s Spring Breakout games give prospects a chance to shine. The Pittsburgh Pirates sent some of their most talented prospects to the Spring Breakout game against the Detroit Tigers. The number one prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin, played, along with the likes of 2025 standouts Termarr Johnson, Esmerlyn Valdez, and Tony Blanco Jr. The Bucs’ 2025 first-round pick, Seth Hernandez, got the nod. This was his first look in a pro game, and you couldn’t have asked for a more impressive outing. Hernandez didn’t just look good on the mound, but he did so with some extremely impressive stuff that rivaled Paul Skenes’ Spring Breakout debut.
Seth Hernandez Shows Shades of Skenes in Spring Breakout Game
Hernandez Lights Up the Radar Gun in His Pro Debut.
Hernandez pitched just one inning, walking two and striking out one. He also induced an inning-ending double play. However, that wasn’t the most eye-popping part of Hernandez’s outing. The right-hander averaged out at a scorching hot 100.3 MPH with his fastball. His very first pitch of the game was his hardest, at 102.4 MPH. Between his four-seam fastball and sinker, Hernandez didn’t throw a single one below 99 MPH. For reference, only five MLB pitchers threw at least 100 four-seam fastballs and averaged out at 100+ MPH.
11 of Hernandez’s 21 pitchers clocked in at 100+ MPH. Both his fastball and sinker had over ten inches of horizontal break. The most impressive part is that Hernandez’s fastball isn’t even his best pitch. His upper-80s change-up topped out around 15 inches of arm-side horizontal movement. The young right-hander only threw his high-spin curveball twice. However, it induced a swing and a miss the first time, and a double play the second time.
Hernandez’s Other Pitches Looked Electric as Well
Hernandez’s ceiling is one of the highest in the Pirates’ minor league system. Baseball America ranked him as the 2nd best draft prospect in 2025, while MLB Pipeline had him as the 3rd best. His fastball, curveball, and change-up all have the potential to be plus offerings. Even his slider (which he didn’t utilize during his Spring Breakout start) looks like an above-average pitch. On top of that, Hernandez didn’t show much concern regarding his control.
Hernandez has a legitimate chance of becoming baseball’s best pitching prospect. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the fifth-best RHP prospect. All four names above Hernandez should graduate their prospect status before mid-season. Meanwhile, BA ranks him as the sixth best. Both have him among the top 40 prospects in the entire sport. Hernandez even drew comparisons to former Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett before the draft. He could also be baseball’s best prospect by next year.
Shades of Paul Skenes?
Hernandez’s Spring Breakout outing has shades of Paul Skenes. Skenes started the Pirates’ very first Spring Breakout game in 2024. He hit 100+ MPH on six out of the 11 pitches he threw. If Hernandez can draw comparisons to Skenes and Beckett, he’s probably doing something right. The right-hander is only entering his age-19 campaign as well. It should be fun to see what Hernandez does in his first look in professional baseball based on how well he looked in his Spring Breakout game.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
