PITTSBURGH — It will still be a few years before Seth Hernandez can impact the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the 2025 first-round draft pick took the first step towards making that happen on Tuesday.
Hernandez signed with the Pirates for $7,250,000, quite literally marking the beginning of his professional career.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander put on a white No. 25 Pirates jersey with his last name stitched across the back on stage alongside general manager Ben Cherington in the PNC Park press conference room for the occasion.
“I think as soon as I put the jersey on, it kind of hit me,” he explained. “It kind of hit me hard as well, being able to share this moment with my family, agents, friends, just people who supported me. I think it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I’m just enjoying every bit of it.”
Hernandez joins the Pirates’ organization from Corona High School in California, where he went 9-1 with a 0.39 ERA, 105 strikeouts and seven walks across 53.1 innings as a senior. He was named the 2025 National Gatorade Player of the Year.
Though he had already been in the spotlight as a high-profile draft prospect, much has changed for Hernandez since he was announced as the sixth pick last Sunday.
“A lot has gone on in my life recently, but obviously, I think this kind of tops it, being a part of a great organization,” he explained. “They’ve had faith in me since the beginning. So being able to be here, be in Pittsburgh, amazing city, amazing fans as well. Being a part of this is definitely unbelievable.”
Hernandez and his family arrived in Pittsburgh on Monday afternoon and were in attendance to watch the Pirates’ win over the Detroit Tigers.
On the mound for the Pirates on Monday night was Paul Skenes, their first-round choice from two years ago. Skenes, a player Hernandez said he looks up to, threw six-shutout innings, continuing the dominance he has shown throughout the first two years of his career.
This year’s Pirates’ first-rounder came away impressed and inspired.
“He shoved yesterday, and he’s probably going to shove for the rest of his life,” Hernandez said. “If I could kind of follow his footsteps, that’d be great.”
But before Hernandez will take the mound at PNC Park, he will have to climb the ranks of the organization. As a 19-year-old out of high school, Hernandez won’t reach Pittsburgh as fast as Skenes did, but he’s looking forward to starting his professional journey.
“I think I’m gonna learn as I go, but I think the main thing is just keeping my head down,” he said. “Obviously, I got to where I’m at today just from what I’ve done, so I definitely don’t want to mess anything up. But I have a good support system, like I said, so I don’t think it’s gonna be too tough.”
The Pirates have had recent success in the first round of the draft. The aforementioned Skenes looks to be on his way to potentially being named the 2025 National League Cy Young. Konnor Griffin, who was selected with the ninth pick in last year’s draft, is currently Baseball America’s second-best overall prospect.
Building the Pirates into a winner feels like a monumental task. At the end of this season, Pittsburgh will have clinched its seventh-straight losing season and will have missed out on the postseason for a 10th-straight year.
Hernandez won’t be able to do it alone, but his goal is to bring winning baseball back to an organization that has seen so little of it for the better part of three decades.
“I just love being at the field. Just being able to be a part of this great organization, trying to bring that winning culture back to Pittsburgh,” he explained. “Like I said, this is a great city, great atmosphere. Being able to go out and play every day to my best ability and be able to do that is definitely what I’m looking forward to.”
