Pirates' Seth Hernandez Takes Big Step in Latest Start
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PITTSBURGH — Seth Hernandez is still early in his first season as a professional, but the future Pittsburgh Pirates ace is ready for any challenge.
Hernandez threw six innings and 81 in his latest start for Single-A Bradenton against Dunedin, the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, on the road on May 8, marking the most innings and pitches he's thrown in 2026.
It was also another incredible start for Hernandez, as he tied his season-high of nine strikeouts and gave up just three hits and one walk with no earned runs allowed in the 6-0 win.
Hernandez may just be 19 years old, but he's clearly showing that he's far more mature and talented than most pitchers around his age.
🚨An absolute DOMINANT performance tonight from Seth Hernandez! 🚨
— Christian ✞ (@CWolfPGH) May 9, 2026
Final line:
• 6.0 IP
• 3 Hits
• 0 Runs
• 1 BB
• 9 SOs
He generated 22 WHIFFS! 🔥
Through 6 starts:
• 28 IP
• 0.96 ERA
• 50 SOs 🔥
Un-freaking-believable
FULL RECAP HERE: pic.twitter.com/uaED8ZO7eP
Why This is Start Was Incredibly Important For Hernandez
There's no doubt that Hernandez would have success with the talent he possesses and the exceptional pitch mix he deploys each start.
What the Pirates need to see from Hernandez is how he adjusts to heavier workloads as the season progresses, something that will turn him from a great pitcher to a future ace in the major leagues.
Pirates starting pitchers like Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller will make more than 30 starts and throw more than 180 innings this season, a heavy workload, but for two pitchers who can take that on.
Hernandez threw less than 110 combined innings over his last two high school seasons, which is much smaller than what he'll have to take on when he joins the Pirates in the upcoming years.
These six innings come after he had thrown five innings each in the past three starts, four innings in his second start and three innings in his first start.
It's an important step for Hernandez, who has consistently shown that he can take on more work and still excel, which will make it easier for him to earn his eventual promotion to High-A Greensboro.
How Hernandez Dominated Dunedin
Hernandez gave up a double each in the second and third inning, a walk in the fourth inning and a single in the sixth inning, but aside from that, he excelled against Dunedin.
Six of his nine strikeouts came in the first three innings, striking out two batters in each inning, and then got one strikeout in each of his final three innings.
Hernandez went with the four-seam fastball mostly, but also made sure he mixed in his slider and changeup and then his curveball too.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 36/81 (44%) | 96.5 mph |
Slider | 17/81 (21%) | 87.8 mph |
Changeup | 17/81 (21%) | 83.5 mph |
Curveball | 11/81 (14%) | 81.5 mph |
Hernandez continues seeing great success with his offspeed pitches, generating high whiff rates on them and earning seven strikeouts as well, with four coming on his changeup.
His 24 whiffs were a career-high for him this season, with 18 of them coming on his offspeed pitches, including a high of seven whiffs on the changeup.
Pitch | Strikeouts | Whiff Rate |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | Two | 6/19 (32%) |
Slider | One | 6/8 (75%) |
Changeup | Four | 7/11 (64%) |
Curveball | Two | 5/7 (71%) |
This start has Hernandez at 3-0 over six starts in 2026, a 0.96 ERA over 28.0 innings, 50 strikeouts to seven walks, a .135 batting average allowed (BAA), a 0.71 WHIP, plus a 16.07 K/9 and a 7.14 K/BB.
It was also his third straight start with nine strikeouts, with his season-low seven strikeouts, an astounding feat for the 19-year old.
Hernandez leads the Florida State League in ERA, WHIP, BAA, strikeouts, K/9, K/BB and is second in innings pitched this season, the most dominate pitcher in the league.
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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.