Track Record: A native of Cuba, Fernandez signed for $295,000 in 2019 but had to wait to make his pro debut until the 2021 Dominican Summer League. He impressed by hitting .333/.406/.531, flashing advanced bat-to-ball skills and power. Fernandez made his U.S. debut the following spring with Low-A Fresno. He once again impressed, leading the California League with 109 RBIs. Fernandez began his 2023 with High-A Spokane, hitting .319/.354/.605 with 17 home runs in 58 games to earn a promotion to Double-A Hartford on June 21. Fernandez struggled against more advanced pitchers and should return to Hartford to begin 2024.
Scouting Report: A power-over-everything profile, Fernandez possesses sneaky bat-to-ball skills, driven by his gifted hands. His hand strength and bat speed allow him to make adjustments mid-swing, still finding his power when he is off-balance. He’s an aggressive swinger who can often swing himself into outs. An improvement in swing decisions would go a long way toward cutting down on some of Fernandez’s swing and miss. His power is easy plus in games, with a chance to fully tap into his double-plus raw as he refines his plate skills. Fernandez shows easy power to all fields with the ability to pulverize mistakes he gets the barrel on. He’s a fringe-average runner who will likely slow down to below-average at peak. This limits him to an outfield corner, where he’s playable, mostly due to his plus arm with plus-plus arm strength. His throwing ability will likely allow him to carve out a role in either corner outfield spot despite below-average fielding ability.
The Future: Fernandez is a potential middle-of-the-order power hitter with all-star potential if he can refine his approach at the plate.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 60
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