Kansas City Royals: Prospect to Watch, Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is another young pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He currently hurls for the Lexington Legends, but he shows enough promise to keep moving through the farm system.

The number twelve prospect on MLB Pipeline’s list of the top young players for the Kansas City Royals is Carlos Hernandez. On Friday night, he gave up just two hits in seven innings pitched for Lexington.

Hernandez’s outing Friday reminded fans why he is one of the Kansas City Royals top pitching prospects.

The Numbers

The 21 year old righty is 4-3 on the season. Though his ERA sits at 4.31, he is still putting together a decent season. He’s only walked 16, and he has struck out 48 in his 48 innings of work.

Hernandez was an International signing from Venezuela. His repertoire features three pitches: a fastball, changeup, and a curveball. He consistently hits 94-97 MPH on his fastball, and he has the potential to reach 100+ in the near future.

According to MLB Pipeline, he already has a good grasp on his changeup, but there is always room for improvement. Lefty hitters have been held to a .222 average on the season when he is on the mound, and that is in part due to his changeup.

Refining his curveball will be one of the key aspects in his journey through the farm system.

When will he hit the Majors?

Not for a while. MLB Pipeline predicted his ETA as 2021, which is probably accurate. He has only ever played in the lower levels, and there is work to be done before he can even make the next step up.

Next: Rylan Kaufman signs with Royals

Hernandez has the potential to fit into the rotation for the Kansas City Royals. Though he still has time left to impress in the minor league system, he is part of the plans for the future of the team.