Braves select left-handed pitcher Herick Hernandez with their 4th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft

With their 4th round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves selected left-handed pitcher Herick Hernandez. Hernandez is known for his induced vertical break, but needs to improve his secondaries

Biography

Date of birth: 08/11/2003
Height: 1.78 m
Weight: 192 lbs
Batts/Pitches: L/L

Rankings

Baseball America: 419
MLB Pipeline: NR
ESPN: NR

Introducing Herick Hernandez

The Braves went to Miami to sign another college player, left-hander Herick Hernandez. Hernandez stands 5’10”, weighs 200 pounds and has a fastball that can reach 93 mph. In his lone year with the Hurricanes, his overall numbers weren’t great (6.14 ERA, 1.58 WHIP), but he had 95 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. He was drafted out of JUCO last year in the 19th round by the Reds and is considered a player with a nice fastball and a high level of vertical break — something the Braves really like. He could be a bit more of a reliever in the long run, as the secondaries are still catching up, but he’s considered a rawer player with a tool to work the fastball.

First reaction

The Braves are getting another left-handed pitcher known for his vertical movement and fastball shape. This seems like a classic case of the Braves targeting someone whose fastball ranks just about right in their stats and hoping they can improve their secondaries. The Braves clearly don’t have a ton of money to work with here, but they got a guy with a great strikeout rate. This should be a sure sign for Atlanta.