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Chicago Cubs Infield Prospect Making Smooth Transition to Higher Level

The Chicago Cubs have an exciting prospect on the rise as he is meeting expectations at the next level.

Chicago Cubs Top-30 prospect Cristian Hernandez is making the adjustment from rookie ball to Single-A ball look pretty seamless two months into the season.

Hernandez is the No. 9 overall prospect in the Cubs organization and plays for Low Class-A Myrtle Beach. MLB.com projects Hernandez, who is just 19 years old, as a potential 2026 call-up as a shortstop.

He’s the highest-ranked middle infielder in the organization.

Hernandez batted sixth and went 1-for-4 in the Pelicans’ 3-2 loss to the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday. He drove in a run but left four runners on base.

Still, his numbers through 37 games are already approaching his numbers in 44 games with the Cubs’ Arizona Complex League team last year. Hernandez is slashing .265/.329/.375/.704 with two doubles, two triples, three home runs17 RBI and 18 runs scored.

Last season in Arizona he slashed .261/.320/.357/.677 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 21 RBI and 21 runs scored.

The Cubs won a bidding war for Hernandez in early 2021 when they signed him out of the Dominican Republic for $3 million. Per MLB.com he drew comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and Manny Machado from a physical standpoint.

He spent 2021 in with the Cubs’ Dominican Summer League team where he slashed .285/.398/.424/.822 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, 22 RBI and 38 runs in 47 games. 

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