The Pittsburgh Pirates today selected left-handed pitcher Jose Hernandez off Los Angeles’ (NL) Triple-A Oklahoma roster with the third overall pick in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
The 24-year-old Hernandez went a combined 4-4 with eight saves, a 3.32 ERA (59.2ip/22er), 69 strikeouts, .215 batting average against and 1.21 WHIP in 51 appearances (two starts) between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa in 2022. The 6’3’’ southpaw began the 2022 season with Great Lakes, where he was charged with one earned run, struck out 18 batters and recorded a .156 batting average against and 0.98 WHIP in his last 13 appearances (17.1ip) before being promoted to Double-A on May 28.
During his last 15 outings from August 7 through the end of the season with Tulsa, he recorded a 2.93 ERA (15.1ip/5er), 26 strikeouts, .135 batting average against and 1.04 WHIP (four of this five earned runs in that stretch came in one outing on September 11). Hernandez was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 12, 2016.
Since beginning his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2016, Hernandez has gone 17-10 with nine saves, a 3.41 ERA (206.0ip/78er), 14 home runs allowed, 231 strikeouts, .223 batting average against and 1.29 WHIP in 120 appearances (21 starts).
