Of the many lines that stand out in Alex Hernandez‘s scouting report from the 2023 New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Main Event, it’s hard not to think about this one.
“Likely draft ready by July (2024). If off to college is the route, could be a complete beast by the next draft go-round.”
Indeed he will be. One of the best true freshmen in the country, the 19-year-old Hernandez stood out as a true two-way player as he came up through the FSS ranks, first being seen at a Georgia Bombers Scout Day in 2021 as part of as six-appearance run that culminated with that Main Event showing.
Funny enough, Hernandez was evaluated more as a pitcher than a hitter at Fenway — he showed a slider/changeup/fastball mix with the latter up to 93 in Boston — and said to “have a chance become ML starter” by our scouting staff. Hernandez went to Georgia Tech as a two-way player, and while he’s seen some innings on the mound with five appearances, including one start, it seems that the path moving forward is with the bat.
The righty bat has a stunning 1.010 OPS in 46 games thus far, slashing .337/.425/.584 with ten homers and 52 RBI and 30 walks compared to just 40 strikeouts. He would be eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft as a sophomore, and is trending towards being a candidate for a first-round selection.
On the pro side, Nolan McLean is continuing to make waves, and reportedly received his first career promotion to Triple-A Syracuse after emerging as one of the top pitching prospects this season; taken in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, it’s been a very quick ascent for McLean, who went 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA in five starts at Double-A Binghamton this season.
Like Hernandez, McLean came through the Future Stars Series as a two-way player, starring with the Dirtbags at the 2019 National Tournaments before going the college route with Oklahoma State and then to the Mets organization, where he remained a two-way player before shifting to pitching-only late in the 2024 season.
NOTES: 2023 National Tournaments star Slade Caldwell leads all of the minors with a .524 OBP with the Visalia Rawhide, an A-ball affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks…2018 NorCal World Series standout Kyle Harrison was recalled to the majors by the San Francisco Giants, who will use him in a relief role…Michael Arroyo, who was arguably the top bat from the 2020 World Combine in the Bahamas, homered in back-to-back at-bats for the Everett Aquasox this past weekend…another of a bevy of stars from the 2019 International Week event, David Calabrese homered in back-to-back games for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas as he continues his climb up the system with the Los Angeles Angels…Theo Gillen, who was one of the names to watch at the 2020 National Tournaments and Underclass Combine, delivered his first pro homer as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays system with the Charleston River Dogs.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
