Pirates Prospect Seth Hernandez Already Drawing Comparisons to Cy Young Winner

The 19-year-old had one of his best starts so far at High-A

Jul 22, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seth Hernandez (left), the Pittsburgh Pirates' first round and number six overall pick in the 2025 first-year player draft, talks with Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) before the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The top pitching prospect in all of baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Seth Hernandez, dominated in his latest High-A start. And after that performance, the 19-year-old earned some lofty praise from his pitching coach.

Hernandez, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect for 2026, dazzled in his outing with the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers on Saturday. The 2025 sixth-overall draft pick tossed six scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out eight in Greensboro's 5-1 victory over the Winston-Salem Dash, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Following this gem, Greensboro pitching coach Rafael Chaves even compared Hernandez to a six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner. "When you're looking at a kid like this, and going back on my years in the game, it reminds me of when I had Félix Hernández," Chaves said, as reported by MLB Pipeline's Brendan Samson. "This is pretty much a cliché, but [he's] one of those [talents] where you run into them every 20 years."

Pirates fans hope Seth Hernandez can have a career like Félix Hernández

Jul 8, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners former pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) celebrates while running the bases after hitting a home run during the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

At the end of the day, Hernandez is just starting his professional career. But it's still undoubtedly noteworthy that Greensboro's pitching coach said the 19-year-old reminds him of the former Seattle Mariners ace.

The numbers speak for themselves through the first 13 starts of Hernandez's minor league journey. The 2025 first-round pick has a 2.04 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings this year. He began his career by posting a 0.96 ERA in six Single-A starts and was quickly called up to High-A, where he has a 3.07 ERA in seven games.

Hernandez's six-inning gem on Saturday also matched his longest start of the season, and it's one of his best outings since being promoted to High-A in May. With how dominant he's looked for most of this season, though, it can be easy to forget that he was still playing high school ball roughly a year ago. But between his performance on the mound this year and the comparisons to a former Cy Young Award winner, it's not difficult to see why the top prospect is one of the most exciting young arms in the game.