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Prospect Profile:
Gorkys Hernandez
2008 Season Summary:
In one of his first moves as GM, Frank Wren sent shortstop Edgar Renteria to Detroit for pitcher Jair Jurrjens and a young exciting outfielder named Gorkys Hernandez. Some fans were disappointed with the results he produced in his first season with the Atlanta organization; but a deeper look into his statistics show the steady improvement he has made. Despite a batting average that was nearly 30 points lower than the year before; Hernandez actually increased his OBP and continued to flash both his speed and gap power.
2008 Statistics Carolina League
.264 AVG, 23 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 48 BB, 79 SO, 20 SB, .348 OBP, .387 SLG
Strengths:
Gorkys Hernandez is one of the best athletes in the Atlanta system. At the plate he displays solid gap-to-gap power and could easily hit 30-40 doubles annually at the Major League level; he also has well-above-average speed that allows his to steal bases at an 83% clip. Defensively Hernandez covers tons of ground in center, gets solid jumps and has a strong arm.
Weaknesses:
Gorkys must continue to improve his plate discipline as he strikes out too often for a player that profiles as a leadoff hitter. He does have solid power; but it's doubtful that he'll ever hit more than 10-15 home runs a season at the Major League level.
When examining Minor League prospects its important to look at what they've done statistically and also what kind of upside and potential they have; in the following section I'm going analyze and grade each player on their statistical accomplishments and upside separately.
Statistical Report:
Average Minor League season (accumulated over three years)
364 AB, .288 AVG, 19 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 31 BB, 58 SO, .348 OBP, .403 SLG, 31 SB
Statistical grade and summary:
B
Gorkys power numbers and on base percentage have climbed since his first season. For such a young hitter; he's shown the ability to get on base and his speed makes him a constant threat while he's there.
Upside Report:
B+
Few outfielders have the type of talent that Hernandez was born with. His combination of defense, hitting ability and speed make him a special prospect. He profiles as a future impact hitter at the top of a Major League lineup.
The following links will provide more information about Gorkys Hernandez.
http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=32041
http://www.todaysprospect.com/d06.28
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