Yadiel Hernández (born October 9, 1987) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the Cuban National Series for Matanzas.
Yadiel Hernández | |
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![]() Hernández with the Washington Nationals in 2021 | |
Washington Nationals – No. 29 | |
Outfielder | |
Born: (1987-10-09) October 9, 1987 (age 34) Matanzas, Cuba | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 10, 2020, for the Washington Nationals | |
MLB statistics (through August 13, 2022) | |
Batting average | .267 |
Home runs | 19 |
Runs batted in | 78 |
Teams | |
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Hernández began his baseball career with the Cocodrilos in 2009.[1] After hitting .369 for Matanzas in the 2014–15 Cuban National Series, Hernández defected to the United States at age 28 along with Cuban national teammate Luis Yander La O in June 2015,[1] while they were in North Carolina for a game against American college baseball players.[2] Hernández was declared eligible to sign with a Major League Baseball team in April 2016.[3] In September 2016, the Washington Nationals, not usually a major player for Cuban talent, signed him to a minor league deal with a $200,000 signing bonus.[4]
After playing for the Class-AA Harrisburg Senators in 2017 and 2018, Hernández was promoted to Class-AAA. He hit his first professional grand slam on May 9, 2019, for the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League.[5] Along with teammate Dakota Bacus, he represented Fresno in the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game.[6]
At age 32, Hernández was called up to the major leagues for the first time on September 10, 2020, after Nationals infielder Howie Kendrick was placed on the injured list.[7] He made his major league debut that day against the Atlanta Braves.
In 2021, he batted .273/.329/.413 with 9 home runs and 32 RBIs in 112 games. He had the slowest sprint speed of all major league left fielders, at 25.3 feet/second.[8]