Pirates Prospect Seth Hernandez Impresses in High-A, But Faces Hurdles to Majors

Veteran pitcher Matt Clement warns against rushing the 19-year-old phenom to the big leagues too quickly.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 2:23pm

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A fractured, multi-angled painting depicting the windup and delivery of a young baseball pitcher, broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in muted tones, conceptually representing the nuances of developing top pitching prospects.A cubist deconstruction of a young pitcher's mechanics highlights the complexities of developing top prospects like Seth Hernandez.Today in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates have quickly promoted top prospect Konnor Griffin to the major league roster, raising questions about whether they will take a similar fast-track approach with another highly touted young player, pitcher Seth Hernandez. However, former MLB pitcher Matt Clement cautions against rushing Hernandez's development, noting the significant physical toll that could take on the 19-year-old's arm.

Why it matters

The Pirates' handling of Hernandez's development will be closely watched, as the team tries to balance accelerating his path to the majors with protecting his long-term health and potential. Rushing young pitchers can sometimes backfire, so the Pirates will need to carefully manage Hernandez's workload and progression through the minors.

The details

Hernandez, the Pirates' 2025 first-round draft pick, is currently pitching for their High-A affiliate in Bradenton, Florida. Through two starts, he has a 1.29 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just one walk over seven innings. Clement, who played nine MLB seasons, has been impressed by Hernandez's advanced four-pitch arsenal and ability to 'make pitches do stuff that (they) shouldn't do.' However, Clement warns that the increased workload from high school to the pros could put significant stress on Hernandez's arm, and cautions against rushing his development to the majors too quickly, like the team did with shortstop Konnor Griffin.

  • Hernandez was selected 6th overall by the Pirates in the 2025 MLB Draft.
  • Hernandez is currently pitching for the Pirates' High-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders.
  • Hernandez tossed four no-hit innings in his last start against the Palm Beach Cardinals.

The players

Seth Hernandez

A 19-year-old right-handed pitcher who was the Pirates' 2025 first-round draft pick and is currently pitching for their High-A affiliate. He is MLB.com's #24 overall prospect.

Konnor Griffin

A 19-year-old shortstop who cracked the Pirates' major league roster and signed a lucrative contract extension after just one full minor league season.

Ben Cherington

The general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates who has overseen the rapid promotions of young prospects like Konnor Griffin.

Matt Clement

A former MLB pitcher who played nine seasons in the majors, including an All-Star appearance with the Boston Red Sox in 2005. He is now a commentator who has analyzed the Pirates' handling of their top prospects.

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What they’re saying

“There's a process. Could you rocket him through? Yeah. He's gonna have to hit these different levels. It's a lot of stress, a lot of stress on the arm. He's coming from high school, where he wasn't throwing that amount of pitches.”

— Matt Clement, Former MLB Pitcher

“He's like a video game. He's like playing your Nintendo, and you're making these pitches do stuff that (they) shouldn't do. It's crazy how good he is — and to take 15 off a fastball (for his changeup). The curveball, the breaking ball he's throwing, it's like the hitters don't even wanna look at it. It's like they can't even see it coming.”

— Matt Clement, Former MLB Pitcher

What’s next

The Pirates will need to carefully monitor Hernandez's workload and progression through the minor league levels to ensure he is not rushed to the majors too quickly, which could risk long-term injury to his arm.

The takeaway

The Pirates' handling of top prospects like Seth Hernandez will be closely watched, as the team tries to balance accelerating their path to the majors with protecting their long-term health and potential. Rushing young pitchers can sometimes backfire, so the Pirates will need to strike the right balance in Hernandez's development.