Latest Seth Hernandez highlight will have Pirates fans even more juiced for arrival

When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez at No. 6 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, they took a chance on one of the top high school arms in the class. Just a few months later, the pick already appears to be paying off.

Hernandez dominated in his senior season of high school in 2025, striking out 105 batters over 53 2/3 innings pitched. He averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning while also posting a 0.39 ERA en route to earning 2025 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year honors at the high school level.

The 19-year-old, who pitched in 2025 at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., finally got some game experience outside of the high school level recently when he pitched for the Pirates academy in the Dominican Republic.

A video from Baseball Scouting showed Hernandez reaching up to 101 mph on the radar gun with his fastball, which he mixes in with a changeup and a curveball to overpower opposing hitters.

Seth Hernandez looks advanced beyond his years pitching at Pirates academy in Dominican Republic

MLB Pipeline ranks Hernandez as the No. 3 prospect in the Pirates' farm system and the No. 26 prospect in all of baseball, and Pirates fans have every reason to be genuinely excited for his eventual arrival (whenever that time comes).

Hernandez is the prototype of the modern ace. He's built exactly like the frontline starters dominating MLB right now – tall, athletic, with repeatable delivery and an arsenal designed for swing-and-miss success. He could be the next dominant addition to the Pirates' elite, young rotation that helps them keep their window open longer.

Hernandez's polish could also help accelerate his path. Unlike many teenage prospects, he doesn’t project as a long-term project. His delivery is compact, and his command already advanced for his age. That gives him a real chance to move quickly through the system, much like Paul Skenes did after being drafted first overall in 2023.

Even if the Pirates take it slow to protect his arm, Hernandez’s maturity and clean profile suggest he could reach the upper minors by age 20. For the first time in a long time, the Pirates aren't just dreaming of an ace; they actually appear to be cultivating another one as we speak.