When Seth Hernandez heard his name called by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, he seemed to know exactly what kind of pitching staff he was joining. One that has been built on power arms, unique personalities, and fearless competitors.
“Being put into a system that that’s proven themselves developing right-handed pitchers – I mean, no place better… the first thing that popped into my mind was being able to pitch with the amazing pitching staff that they have right now.”
It’s a rotation headlined by the young talent of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler. Three arms who have quickly become the backbone of this ball club. For Hernandez, a young but confident kid from California, it is the perfect place for him to thrive.
Hernandez comes from an elite high school program. Corona High produced multiple first round guys in the 2025 MLB Draft, and Hernandez made it clear that the daily competition only made him better.
“The talent that we had was unbelievable – once in a generation type of team... being able to have four guys drafted, three in the first round, it was crazy.”
Hernandez has already developed quite the arsenal of pitches to work into the mix, and his changeup is something he has been relying on for years now.
“I started throwing my change my eighth-grade year, and I’ve always really had a feel for that pitch. Obviously, it’s kind of like my bread and butter. It’s my go-to. Then a couple of years ago I started learning the curveball and started learning the slider a little more.”
On top of that, he has also worked hard to make every pitch look the same out of his hand.
“That was a big goal last year – being able to be repeatable. You have to be able to do everything the same. You have to be able to move the same, have the same arm speed on every pitch. So that was the goal last year going into it, and it really helped my command and the deception part of it as well. ”
He makes it a priority to study some of the game’s elite arms. Including the likes of Jacob DeGrom, Zack Wheeler, and of course – Paul Skenes.
“You’ve got to watch the best to be the best.”
For a young kid, Hernandez has the mentality, faith, drive, and focus that go far beyond his years. This is something that his coaches and teammates have noticed immediately.
“It’s really just about being able to stay in the moment… I’m a professional baseball player now. Nothing gets better than this.”
“The money is cool and all, but being able to go out and play baseball every day is a dream come true. To be able to do it in Pittsburgh is even cooler.”
“I think God put me on this planet to be able to play baseball, so I am going to do it to my best ability. I do it for my family and I do it for God.”
Shortly after signing with the Pirates, Hernandez got his first glimpse of the life of a professional baseball player in the Dominican League. This was an experience that he said have him perspective and appreciation.
“Going down there kind of put into perspective what some of those guys have to go through to even get to the States.”
“A bunch of talent down there. Unbelievable. It kind of opened my eyes to how talented some of those super young kids are.”
Off the mound, Hernandez is pretty laid back, funny, and (despite some rumors) NOT actually a sculptor.
“The year I won the Gatorade Player of the Year award; I took an art class. Someone put in there that I was a sculptor or something… but I’m really not. It’s cool that it’s on the resume but I’m not a big sculptor.”
Most days outside of baseball, Hernandez is occupied by spending time outdoors, gaming, or golfing.
“When I was in Pirate City I got a pretty solid routine down. Me and my roommate would go on walks in the afternoon, and then we would hammer the video games. Those are the two main things. Then obviously golfing in Florida is pretty beautiful so I’ve been getting into that a little bit more.”
Hernandez certainly has all the intangibles to be a great professional player, and his message to fans of the Pirates should get everyone fired up for their latest first-rounder.
“I’m just an absolute competitor. I’m a winner. I know what it takes to win, and I know that it’s not only going to be me, it’s going to be a full team effort.”
“They are going to get the biggest competitor on the field. The hardest worker, and not only the hardest worker but the most consistent worker as well.”
“I know what the feeling is to win, and being able to bring that to Pittsburgh is going to be special.”
Hernandez may be young, and it may take a bit more time until we see him pitch at PNC Park, but his mindset is already there. He is confident and fueled by the desire to win. As he makes his way through the Pirates’ system, one thing is abundantly clear: Seth Hernandez isn’t just ready to compete – he is built for it.
