PHILADELPHIA - Seth Hernandez didn’t waste any time making his case on a national stage.
The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander turned in a scoreless second inning of relief for the National League in the Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, and the outing looked every bit like the kind of performance that has made him one of the top upcoming talents in baseball.
Hernandez worked through the inning with authority, striking out two batters and getting another to pop out in foul territory. He needed just 14 pitches, 10 of them strikes, and his fastball touched 101 mph as he carved through a strong group of American League prospects.
He opened by putting away Kansas City Royals catcher Blake Mitchell on four pitches. Hernandez started with three straight fastballs - a 100.2 mph pitch for a ball, then back-to-back strikes at 99.3 mph and 99.2 mph, the latter a swing-and-miss - before finishing Mitchell with an 87.8 mph changeup down low.
Chicago White Sox third baseman Caleb Bonemer was next, and Hernandez needed only two pitches to get him out. He got a called strike on a 100 mph four-seam fastball, then Bonemer lifted a 91.1 mph slider that Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Luis Peña handled with a nice catch in foul territory.
Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ike Irish offered the toughest resistance, working an eight-pitch at-bat before Hernandez won it with a 99.1 mph four-seam fastball outside that Irish swung through for the final out of the inning.
Hernandez has been putting up performances like that all season, and this one only reinforced the results he’s already been delivering.
The Pirates had another prospect in the game, too. Edward Florentino started in right field and hit ninth, then led off the bottom of the third by taking a 94.4 mph four-seam fastball off him to reach first base on a hit by pitch.
Florentino moved up to second with a stolen base and later came around to score on two ground outs, tying the game at 1-1.
Hernandez and Florentino both star for High-A Greensboro, and they’re viewed as the top two prospects in the Pirates system and among the best in baseball. Hernandez is ranked as the second-best pitcher, while Florentino is considered a top 10 outfielder.
Both players delivered strong showings in the Futures Game, and the Pirates will be hoping that momentum carries through the rest of the season.
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