Pirates Star Pitching Prospect Excelling in Spring Training
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Paul Skenes, one of the top pitching prospects in Bubba Chandler and have another young pitcher who could dominate the major leagues in the coming years.
Pirates right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez is down at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. and is heading into his first full season as a professional, after he was the sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif.
Hernandez is also one of the top pitching prospects, ranking 29th on MLB Pipeline, 38th on Baseball America and 49th on ESPN.
The Pirates gave Hernandez a chance to show his talent against the Atlanta Braves in a prospect scrimmage on March 14 and he impressed Josh Norris of Baseball America.
Norris loved what he saw from Hernandez, the near-100 mph fastball and the upper 80-mph changeup, as well as his other offspeed pitches in the slider and curveball.
He wants to see Hernandez get a bit stronger and improve his curveball, but sees him well beyond his years in terms of commanding the strike zone.
"Put all of Hernandez’s ingredients—strikes, stuff and savvy—together, and it’s abundantly clear that another special arm is on its way to Pittsburgh," Norris wrote.
Pirates Teammate Also Praises Hernandez
Catcher Rafael Flores Jr. joined the Pirates soon after Hernandez, coming from the New York Yankees in the trade for closer David Bednar.
Flores went down to Bradenton early this year and was stunned by what he saw from Hernandez, particularly his fastball.
"Gross," Flores said about Hernandez at PiratesFest. "19 year olds should now be throwing 100 and he is, so. That goes to show how hard he works. I worked with him in the offseason, so I've seen him work and he pushes me, I push him. So he's going to be a really good pitcher."
What Flores is most impressed by is Hernandez's pitch mix, which he is confident the 19-year-old can throw whatever he wants to at any time.
"He can throw wherever he wants," Flores said. "The heater, changeup, curveball, slider, everything, he can throw where he wants. And for him being 19 only, being able to do that is insane."
Hernandez Dominant in High School
The Pirates didn't exactly get an unknown player when they took Hernandez sixth overall, as he was one of the top players in the 2025 MLB Draft class.
Hernandez dominated for Corona High School after spending his first two years of high school getting home-schooled.
His junior season in 2024 saw him finish with a 9-0 record, a 0.62 ERA over 56 innings pitched and 73, while also batting .350, with eight home runs and a 1.080 OPS.
Hernandez was even better as a senior in 2025, striking out 105 batters over 53.2 innings pitched, averaging almost two strikeouts per inning, while also posting a 0.39 ERA. His performances earned him 2025 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year honors at the high school level for his performance.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Hernandez will get the chance to continue developing into his body and become an even better pitcher in the minor leagues.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.