Diego Hernandez signed with the Royals as an international free agent back in 2018. He’s a true center fielder who showed off impressive contact ability from his very first season in the minor leagues. He became a more prominent prospect in November 2022 when the Royals added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from that winter’s Rule 5 draft. In the season leading up to that, he had made his way to Double-A as a 21-year-old and looked impressive. Since then, an injury has slowed him down and he’s struggled more in the upper minor leagues.
Season Stats:
2019 (Rk): .283/.327/.340, 5.9% BB%, 19.0% K%, 87 wRC+
2021 (Low-A): .274/.355/.335, 10.3% BB%, 21.3% K%, 96 wRC+
2022 (High-A): .279/.343/.418, 7.3% BB%, 19.4% K%, 113 wRC+
2022 (AA): .298/.357/.379, 8.5% BB%, 19.9% K%, 92 wRC+
2023 (AA): .245/.302/.290, 5.9% BB%, 25.7% K%, 61 wRC+
Hernandez has all the speed and defense you could ask for in center field. The questions around him are related more to the offensive value. In 2022 there were some signs that more power was on the way. He posted a .139 ISO in 83 games for the River Bandits. Unfortunately, that didn’t continue thus far at Double-A. Long term, the difference between a starting center fielder and a fourth outfielder depth option relies heavily on what happens with the bat.
2023 saw Hernandez get injured in spring training. He missed the first half of the season before making a rehab appearance in Surprise. He slugged .760 over six games in the Complex League then slugged .615 in three games for High-A Quad Cities. Those flashes of power were just that, as Hernandez had just a .046 ISO once he returned to Northwest Arkansas. In 2024 Hernandez will be entering what is now his age-23 season and likely his third attempt at Double-A pitching.
Scouting Grades:
Hit: 40/45
Game Power: 30/40
Raw Power: 30/40
Speed: 60/60
Glove: 60/60
Arm: 50/50
Best Case Scenario
If Hernandez can prove that last season was a blip caused by injury, he could find himself again on the rise as a prospect. The largest thing in his favor is Kansas City’s lack of a true center field prospect in the upper minor leagues. They’ve employed Gavin Cross and Tyler Tolbert there at times, but Hernandez is the best defender of the bunch. For the defense to matter, he’ll need to come out of the gate strong in 2024 and show that the bat can impact the game. If he does, there’s a chance he could be a Mallex Smith-type player at the next level.
Worst Case Scenario
Worst case scenario, Hernandez is simply organizational depth who might someday provide strong defense and speed off a major league bench. The Royals already started to pump the brakes some this offseason when they removed him from the 40-man roster. He was subjected to waivers then and went unclaimed after a rough 2023 season. If Hernandez can’t create consistent hard contact, then there’s little MLB value to be found here and he’s on his way to becoming a non-prospect.
