Note: It’s nomination day! So in addition to voting, head to the comment section to nominate players for Friday’s CPL.
We’re fully off and running with the 2027 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List, which will see us rank the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization. Hey, we’ve already got a top three!
Rounding out the opening trio is shortstop Luis Hernández, who jumps up three spots from last year’s placement at No. 6. Hernández, a right-handed hitter who turns 18 in December,
was widely considered the top international free agent when he signed with the Giants out of Venezuela in January.
In a fairly unconventional (unless you’re the Padres) move, the Giants had Hernández skip the Dominican Summer League entirely, and come straight to the states. What followed was pure brilliance: despite his age and inexperience, Hernández had no issues at all with the Arizona Complex League, where he hit .298/.382/.535 for a .917 OPS and a 117 wRC+, while bopping six home runs in 228 plate appearances and stealing six bases.
Hernández was the total package in Arizona: among 136 qualified Complex League hitters (where Hernández was more than two-and-a-half years below the average age), he ranked 24th in batting average, 14th in isolated slugging percentage (.237), and 15th in strikeout rate (16.7%). He also played a quite delightful shortstop, looking remarkably smooth and graceful, and handled third base well when displaced there by Josuar González (our No. 1 prospect).
Given his age and experience level, it’s safe to say that Hernández fairly dramatically outperformed expectations … and expectations were quite high!
When the Rookie Ball season ended, the Giants rewarded Hernández for his strong play — and sought to get him more reps — by sending him to Low-A San Jose for the final month of the season. There, he understandably hit a bump in the road, slashing .231/.276/.319 for a .594 OPS and a 48 wRC+, with two home runs in 98 plate appearances and a 29.6% strikeout rate. But that’s no matter. Hernández was laughably young for the league (four years younger than his average peer), was dealing with a small ailment, and it was a small sample size … if you need reassurance, just know that Gavin Kilen posted a 58 wRC+ at the same level in his short stint there last year, after being drafted in the first round out of an SEC school at age 21.
Hernández will surely be back in San Jose to start 2027, and if he adjusts well to the league, there’s no telling how quickly — and emphatically — he can rise through the ranks of both the system and national prospect lists. His instincts, fundamentals, and bat control are truly elite, and he’s got far more pop than you would suggest from looking at him. The sky is the limit for Hernández!
Now let’s add to the list, and don’t forget that it’s nomination day!
The list so far
- Josuar González — SS
- Jackson Flora — RHP
- Luis Hernández — SS
Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.
No. 4 prospect nominees
Jacob Bresnahan — 21.4-year old LHP — 2.92 ERA/4.32 FIP in High-A (98.2 IP); 5.06 ERA/3.60 FIP in AA (16 IP)
Bo Davidson — 24.3-year old OF — .861 OPS/122 wRC+ in AA (315 PA); .923 OPS/138 wRC+ in AAA (234 PA); .714 OPS/100 wRC+ in MLB (22 PA)
Jhonny Level — 19.6-year old SS — .968 OPS/134 wRC+ in Low-A (217 PA); .836 OPS/119 wRC+ in High-A (331 PA)
Ramon Marquez — 21.1-year old RHP — 1.86 ERA/2.67 FIP in Low-A (29 IP); 2.48 ERA/2.45 FIP in High-A (40 IP)
Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page. All stats are from the 2026 season.
