Intriguing Giants International Prospect to Make Rare Jump Stateside in Pro Debut

When international prospects are signed each January, they usually head to the Dominican Summer League, which is the top landing spot for young players with no pro experience.

The San Francisco Giants are expected to make a rare exception to that rule.

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Per Baseball America (subscription required) the Giants are bringing their top international prospect from this January’s class, Luis Hernández, to their spring training complex in Arizona in the next several days. They are doing so with the intent of starting him on back field games at the facility, followed by a likely move into the Arizona Complex League or even Class A San Jose this year.

That means Hernández won’t play in the DSL unless something changes in the franchise’s approach. There could be a good reason why.

Luis Hernández’s Maturity on Display

The San Francisco Giants logo on the sleeve of a player's jersey. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Baseball America ranked him as the Giants’ No. 5 prospect when he signed this January. San Francisco signed him for $5 million, pushing most of their international signing bonus pool to the 17-year-old who was considered by most to be the top prospect on the market.

But even the players that get the biggest bonuses usually end up in the Dominican to start their careers. Hernández’s maturity could be a reason why he’s coming to the U.S. now.

The Venezuelan-born prospect has already played in a significant international league, one dominated by older pitching, some of which have played in the Majors.

In Liga Mayor, he slashed .346/.386/.452 while striking out just 11 times in 114 plate appearance. It’s a reflection of the work he’s put in with a former Major League player. Carlos Guillen trains players in Venezuela as part of MLB’s trainer partnership program. Hernández is among his pupils.

There are a couple of recent parallels to this strategy.

Ethan Salas was San Diego’s top international prospect in 2023 and the Padres started him in Class-A and he leaped to Double-A by the end of his first season. He slashed .248/.331/.421 with nine home runs and 41 RBI. But, since then, he’s underperformed and missed most of the 2025 season with an injury. He hasn’t played above Double-A.

Leo De Vries was the Athletics’ top international prospect in 2024 and he also landed in Class-A, where he played 75 games and slashed .237/.361/.441 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI. He improved in 2025, playing for three different affiliates and slashing .255/.355/.451 with 15 home runs and 74 RBI as he got to Double-A.