Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!
A’s ninth ranked prospect Darell Hernaiz is headed to Spring Training with confidence, ready to compete for a spot on Oakland’s Opening Day roster.
Martin Gallegos at MLB.com noted yesterday that the 22-year-old shortstop shot up the A’s system in 2023, slashing .321/.386/.456 through 131 games in Double- and Triple-A ball. Hernaiz landed on the A’s 40-man roster this offseason, and he’ll be up against the likes of Nick Allen for the shortstop job this spring.
Feeling solid on his bat-to-ball skills, Hernaiz said that he’ll turn his focus to improving his power a bit and stealing “a lot more” than the 13 bases he bagged in 2023.