Ivy League Cubs

By: Jake Russell

It’s taken a couple years. Cristian Hernandez was the former top Cubs International Free Agent signing. He has received a call-up from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend. It comes on the heels of a strong start to August, where he has hit .286 with a 137 wRC+ (albeit a small sample size), and a strong past two weeks as well. Since July 23rd, he is hitting .300, has a BB% over 10%, and a 149 wRC+.

Hernandez had to repeat Low-A after a rough 2023 where he had just a 77 wRC+, a sub-.100 ISO, and poor strikeout rates. This year, he has dropped his K% by 4.4%, is hitting for more power, and has 37 stolen bases, which is the fourth best mark in the Carolina League.

Hernandez, still just 20 years old, has still lacked great power this season, as his .138 ISO is tied for 20th in the league, and he has just 5 home runs. However, it’s certainly encouraging to see his BB% all the way up at 14.5%. Hernandez has all the tools to be a very good player–power, speed, and perhaps even defense.

Hopefully, Hernandez can keep putting everything together at South Bend. It will be fun to follow his progress in the Cubs minor league system. He has certainly made strides this year, and, as the saying goes, prospect development is never linear. Hernandez is ranked 17th on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Cubs Prospects.

Picture Credit: Cristian Hernandez Instagram (c_hernandez_15)