Seth Hernandez might already be proving High-A is too easy as Pirates hype continues

Expectations were sky-high for Seth Hernandez's pro debut after it looked like the Pittsburgh Pirates got the steal of the 2025 MLB Draft, selecting the teenager sixth overall. However, the jump from high school to even the lowest level of the minors is a substantial leap, making his start to the season all the more incredible. It had fans wondering how quickly he could rise.

The answer so far has been at breakneck speed. The 19-year-old needed just six starts to thoroughly conquer Single-A, striking out a whopping 48.1% of the batters he faced en route to a 0.96 ERA. Then, on May 10, Greensboro came calling.

We've now gotten our first look at Hernandez against High-A competition, and oh baby, was it impressive. Taking on the Philadelphia Phillies High-A affiliate, Jersey Shore, the young righty tossed five shutout innings.

How he got there was even more impressive. He generated an eye-popping 62.1% whiff rate while striking out seven batters, while only allowing two balls out of the infield. In fact, Hernandez proved that the only person who could slow him down was himself, with a career-high four walks.

It's only one start, but he clearly wasn't fazed. The question now is how aggressive should Pittsburgh continue to be with the potential future ace?

The Pirates might be wise to continue aggressively promoting Seth Hernandez until he faces some adversity

In meteoric fashion, Hernandez is now MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect and the minors' top-ranked young hurler regardless of level. With a mature body, a high 90s fastball, and more spin than he knows what to do with, Hernandez's wise-beyond-his-years approach has him looking like a heat-seeking missile destined for MLB glory sooner rather than later.

It will take more than one start to get him up to Double-A Altoona, but the fact remains that if he continues on this path, he won't be in Greensboro for long.

Typically speaking, a club might want to slow-play a player this young as they undergo so many changes, both on and off the field, at the same time. That conventional wisdom might not apply in the case of this sparkling gem.

There comes a point when you have to wonder what kind of benefit Hernandez is getting every night. If he never faces adversity, how will he learn to adjust? When will he gain the sense of when he has to switch things up? How will he learn to get up off the mat if he's never struggled?

A gradual progression could mean that he moves through the minors without ever having to struggle. At which point, he might be ill-equipped for the major league game.

So, as counterintuitive as it sounds, the Pirates should continue the aggression and promote him until he finally runs into a challenge he can't immediately overcome. That way, he'll learn resiliency and adaptability, two intangibles that are must-haves for life in the majors. If the club isn't bold in their plans for him, it might only be doing him a disservice.

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