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SF Giants among several teams scouting top Cuban outfielder prospect

The SF Giants were among several teams at a showcase for top Cuban outfielder prospect Yandro Hernández earlier this month, per Francys Romero.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants among several teams scouting top Cuban outfielder prospect
SF Giants among several teams scouting top Cuban outfielder prospect

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants were among several teams at a showcase for top Cuban outfielder prospect Yandro Hernández earlier this month, according to a report by independent reporter Francys Romero. Per Romero, the Giants, Cardinals, White Sox, Royals, Pirates, Brewers, and Angels were all in attendance. Hernández recently left his native Cuba, which does not allow residents to sign with MLB teams because of the United States' embargo on the Caribbean nation.

Hernández is the son of Stayler Hernández, a former outfielder for top Cuban baseball teams, like the Metros and Industriales. Over his 18-year professional career, Hernández hit .297/.396/.453 with 100 home runs from 2003-2021. Now, his son is looking to build off his father's legacy in the major leagues.

The younger Hernández, who is still only 18 years old, was one of the best young hitting prospects in Cuba prior to his defection. He hit .463 with the U-18 Cuban National Team, leading the squad with 37 hits during their last set of tournament player. 

Hernández is lauded for his advanced feel for hitting, which features promising bat-to-ball skills and a strong feel for the strike zone. A switch-hitter, the biggest questions in Hernández's profile surround his power and defensive upside. Hernández has yet to showcase the speed to lead evaluators to believe he will stick in center field nor the above-average power potential that scouts like to see in a player with a corner profile. Of course, he's also just a teenager with plenty of time to develop enough strength to be an impactful bat.

The Giants have already signed 20 players during the 2024-25 international free-agent period, but still have north of seven figures in pool space remaining. Teams usually exhaust their entire pool when the IFA signing window opens, so the SF Giants should have an advantage trying to sign prospects like Yandro Hernández who are still available.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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