Steve gave you the complete run-down on Ariel Hernandez after he was promoted from Double-A earlier this week. Last night, Hernandez made his MLB debut, and we talked about how electrifying that debut was.
Ariel Hernandez kept it 💯 in his debut. pic.twitter.com/p5MHM9UQPz
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 25, 2017
It was really a dazzling debut, with Hernandez throwing 100-mph fastballs mixed with insane breaking stuff. I can’t wait to watch this guy pitch more.
Last night, Baseball America’s JJ Cooper had some thoughts about Hernandez that I figured the Nation would be interested to read. Here’s Cooper’s mini-tweetstorm:
Man that was fun watching @andrikson2392's MLB debut. Showed the ++ FB and the ++ CB.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
Ariel Hernandez throws 100 mph. His breaking ball is better than his fastball. And he's been released and was a MILB R5 pick. Unreal.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
I know the fastball was what people will remember from Hernandez's debut, but it's the breaking ball that can be unreal.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
1. I made pretty much everyone in the BA office watch video of Ariel Hernandez last summer. Favorite was a sequence to Brendon Davis.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
2. Hernandez threw Davis a breaking ball for strike two that left Davis just shaking his head, walked around as if "what do I do with that."
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
3. Hernandez threw the same high-80s bball for strike three. Davis had no chance. Just walked back to the dugout resigned to his fate.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
Courtesy of the Dayton Dragons, here's that sequence from last year. First strike two. pic.twitter.com/Wxjist3Qds
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
And here's strike three pic.twitter.com/iOf0FJAyfI
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
My first mention of Ariel. Billy Bryk, son of Dbacks scout Bill Bryk, was his pitching coach in indy ball. https://t.co/JKbtxRboL0
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 25, 2017
FYI: I couldn’t get the videos to play.
Anyone else having these problems?
If I click, then wait, then click again it works.
I have been worried about service time for our young pitchers like Garrett and Davis (making the team out of spring) but Hernandez may be here to stay and now we get him for 7 years!
I think they will send Hernandez back. He was only in AA, and 2 2/3 innings last night makes him unavailable for at least a couple of days. One of the aspects of the Dick Williams rebuild plan is not to rush young players to the bigs. If Hernandez continues to perform this way at AA and then AAA, then we’ll surely see him later this year.
Yep – biggest question mark and a big domino to fall will be what the team does with Turner when Mesoraco comes back.
How did they acquire him?