UPDATE (Jan. 25): Dominican outfielder Erick Hernandez has officially signed his contract with the White Sox for $1 million.
“Hernández is a high-energy, aggressive player with a natural feel for hitting,” said Marco Paddy, White Sox special assistant to the general manager — international operations. “He has the potential to develop plus tools across the board which include a power bat and high-level defense in the outfield.”
The White Sox are continuing to build up their international prospect pipeline with another intriguing signing.
The organization has reportedly agreed to terms with outfielder Erick Hernandez out of the Dominican Republic. The deal is said to be worth $1 million, per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.
Hernandez, who just turned 17 years old, is ranked as the 28th best international prospect of this signing period, according to MLB Pipeline. While expecting him to turn into the next Juan Soto as his player comps suggest might be a lofty expectation, Hernandez has enough potential to get the organization excited.
The 6’0″, 175-pound teen has the ability to play all three outfield positions, although he will probably be relegated to a corner spot as he matures. He’s also a solid hitter with an advanced approach and above-average raw power. Hernandez’s hit tool is expected to carry him through his development, but learning to tap into his raw power on a consistent basis will be key for him to reach his ceiling. He will most likely spend his entire first season with the organization in the Dominican Summer League.
It is encouraging to see the White Sox use some of their bonus pool on a young, high upside prospect like Hernandez, as this signing is a nice change of pace from the older prospects they have targeted in the past. While we will not know for years what kind of prospect Hernandez will be, he is definitely a welcome addition to this farm system.
In the coming days, we will be releasing another article to see where exactly Hernandez lands in the system’s prospect rankings. Until then, be sure to follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for more updates!
Featured Photo: MLB.com
