Interview with Nick Hernandez

JKEARSE123's number one sleeper prospect on the Phillies is not one
people would expect. No, not the blazing fast Anthony Gose or the
switch-hitting speedster Jiwan James. While they are both terrific
prospects and great sleepers, there is no question that Nick
Hernandez, a 6'4" 205 LHP from Hialeah, Florida is my number one
sleeper prospect for 2010. Nick began his first season in the majors
at age 20 with the short season A team and absolutely dominated. In
exactly 80 innings pitched, Nick held his own with a 2.70 ERA and a
1.15 WHIP. This includes a very respectable 3.35 strikeout/walk ratio
and 7.5 strikeout per 9 inning. The only slight concern with Nick
Hernandez is his 8.1 hits per 9 innings, otherwise, Nick had
incredibly solid statistics especially for a 20 year old in A- league
(http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?
id=hernan003nic).

There truly is no comparison that serves his sample size well along
with his pitches, age, etc. Only Jamie Moyer, a control pitching left
hander, had better but similiar stats but one year older at A-
League.
If the Phillies drafted a Jamie Moyer type player with an 12th round
draft pick in the 2009 draft, then they have found a steal. One
favorable stat for Nick as well is a high SONAR score of 18.53
(http://
phuturephillies.com/2009/11/12/sonar-scores-the-pitchers/) which is
higher than very high rated prospect Jarred Cosart. All in all, Nick
Hernandez, who has family history in baseball, is going to be a very
interesting player to watch, whether it be in Clearwater of Lakewood.


Q: What made you come out of College at Tennessee as a sophomore to
sign with the Phillies as a 12th round draft pick?


A: I came out of Tennessee as a junior and felt I was ready for pro
ball. It was a tough decision to make because I spent 3 years at the
University of Tennessee but I decided to accept the offer and start
my
pro career.


Q: What pitches do you use and what is the MPH of them?


A: I throw a FB, CH, CB, and I am in the process of learning a SL. My
Fb sits about 85-88 and hits 90 at times. The CH is my best pitch and
it usually sits 76-78 with my CB usually sitting around 74-76. The
SL,
which was taught to me in Instructional Ball, has come a long ways
and
I threw it effectively around 78-81. Hopefully with more reps, I can
get it to the 80-82 range.


Q: Do you consider yourself a power pitcher or a control pitcher?


A: I am definitely a control pitcher that likes to work both sides of
the plate and force the hitters to get themselves out.


Q: Have the Phillies indicated what team you will be on next year, if
not which team would you like to be on?


A: When we broke Instuctional Ball they said I would definitely be
starting every 5th day either in Lakewood or Clearwater. Depending on
how Spring Training goes, is where I will end up.


Q: What did the Phillies see in you that allowed you to skip GCL and
go straight to short season Williamsport?


A: Well I don't know that answer for sure, but from the looks of it,
most of the college players that the Phillies drafted went to
Williamsport.


Q: What player did you grow up admiring the most?


A: Growing up, I always tried to be like Ken Griffey Jr. When I was
young, I think every kid wanted to be like him. His swing, his
ability
in the outfield, and the way he played the game made it easy for me
to
admire Jr. the most.


Q: How has having a family in baseball (Dad as a player, Uncle as an
Umpire) affected your life?


A: It has been a great advantage for me. My father was the 8th
overall
pick in the 1978 draft and he opened me up to what I should expect in
pro ball. He has always been there for me through the tough times and
the bad and has experienced many things that I have already. My Uncle
which has been an umpire now for 30 years (13 in the minors and 17 in
the Big Leagues) has always inspired me to make it up there. They
have
both played a huge part so far in my professional career, and I am
sure they will continue to be a huge part of my career.


Q: Any other comments you'd like to add?


A: I'm excited for my 1st ever Spring Training and I look forward to
finding out exactly what Spring Training is all about. I'm sure I
will
learn some valuable lessons and receive great instruction that will
benefit me throughout the season. Thanks for the interview, GO
PHILS!