With their 4th round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves selected left-handed pitcher Herick Hernandez. Hernandez is notable for his induced vertical break, but needs to improve his secondaries
Bio
DOB: 08/11/2003
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 192 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Rankings
Baseball America: 419
MLB Pipeline: NR
ESPN: NR
Introducing Herick Hernandez
The Braves went to Miami to draft another college arm in lefty Herick Hernandez. Hernandez is 5’10”, 205-pounds and has a fastball up to 95 MPH. In his one year with the Hurricanes his overall numbers weren’t great (6.14 ERA, 1.58 WHIP), but he struck out 95 in 70.1 innings. He was drafted out of JUCO last year in the 19th round by the Reds and is seen as a guy with an interesting fastball with a high level of vertical break – something the Braves really do value. He may be a bit more of a reliever longterm as the secondaries are still catching up, but he’s viewed as a bit of a more raw piece with a tool to work with in the fastball.
First Reaction
The Braves grab another left-handed pitcher, and one who is known for the vertical movement and shape on his fastball. This feels like a classic case of the Braves targeting someone whose fastball ranks about his metrics who they hope they can improve secondaries on. The Braves clearly don’t have a ton of money to work with here, but got a guy with great strikeout rates. This should be a safe sign for Atlanta.
