He's one of our better pitching prospects.
A 21 year old LHSP, he had a pretty decent year between Salem and Portland. 134 K in 107 IP, but also 66 BB. 95ish fastball, good curveball, work-in-progress changeup and slider.
Regarding Hernandez (from the Athletic):
Pitcher of the Week: Darwinzon Hernandez, LHP, Red Sox
2.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 18 K (6 games)
With a $7,500 price tag, Darwinzon Hernandez is surfacing as a bit of a steal for the Red Sox. The 21-year-old has started to master his plus-plus arm since first signing with Boston out of Venezuela in 2013.
Hernandez carries the type of velocity that teams are looking for, with his fastball tipping 98 mph and a three-pitch offspeed mix that is still coming into its own.
Mesa manager Lou Marson didn’t have any personal experience with Hernandez prior to the Fall League, but he’s bought into the skill set of the young pitcher.
“A lot of these guys, I never came across in minor league baseball, but I like what I’ve seen in Hernandez so far,” Marson said. “He’s got electric stuff. He’s not too far away from being in a big-league bullpen. Hopefully, it’s with Boston, for their sake.”
While the 6-2, 245-pound lefty has an easy time attacking the strike zone, Marson and his staff are taking advantage of their time with Hernandez to iron out some wrinkles.
“Sometimes he’s had a little bit of an issue with the command, but with guys with high velocity, it tends to happen,” Marson said. “I like him a lot. He’s been consistent all fall. I mean, he’s come out and pounded the strike zone. He’s got a very good slider for an out pitch and he’s done well.”
Hernandez has worked scoreless in four of his six outings this fall with Mesa, allowing one earned run over his last three appearances.