Before signing a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants last offseason, Gorkys Hernandez transitioned from a top outfield prospect to bouncing around the farm systems of various organizations, unable to earn consistent playing time as a starter at the major league level.
A day before the conclusion of the regular season’s first month in 2005, the Detroit Tigers signed a 17-year-old undrafted free agent in Hernandez, who quickly gained traction as one of the organization’s most intriguing prospects.
Standing at 6’0” and a lean 175 pounds, Hernandez wasn’t turning too many heads when he participated in the Venezuelan Summer League shortly after his signing, batting .