Fernandez’s bat makes a distinct sound when the ball hits it. The left-handed outfielder, 21, who signed a $295k contract in 2019 after being released by Cuba, is noted for making loud contact, and he demonstrated this ability in 2022 while playing for Low-A Fresno, when he was among the league’s youngest players. In 2023, he also did a great deal more of that. Fernandez is praised for his excellent hitting instincts and great power projection, but his subpar speed restricts him to the corner outfield positions.
The 6’2″ Fernandez was assigned to High-A Spokane in mid-April after spending three games down in Low-A to start 2023. At 2.4 years younger than the league average, he was one of the league’s youngest players. Fernandez accepted the task with grace. Fernandez hit.319/.355/.605 in 268 PA with Spokane, including 17 home runs in 34 extra-base hits (147 wRC+). Fernandez even improved in 2022 by limiting his strikeout percentage to 18% of his PA. Fernandez is 3.7 years younger than the league average at Double-A Hartford, where the Rockies promoted him in late June based on that alone.
In four of his first eight games, Fernandez went yard, including a home run in his Hartford debut. A few weeks later, Fernandez was chosen for the elite MLB Futures Game. Fernandez hit a single during the contest and was recorded throwing to third base at a speed of over 103 mph.
It wasn’t accurate enough to get Spencer Jones going first to third, but …
this Yanquiel Fernandez throw came in at 103.3 mph. That would be the hardest throw by a #Rockies outfielder in the Statcast Era (since 2015). pic.twitter.com/963Kr99eC1
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) July 9, 2023
After his explosive Double-A start, Fernandez struggled to make contact and hit just three long balls in the final two months of the season before the league caught up with him. Even so, Fernandez’s.206/.262/.362 line (69 wRC+) in Hartford wasn’t very good, but the fact that he accomplished it in Double-A at the age of 20 is remarkable. If Fernandez is to reach his great potential as demonstrated in 2023, he needs to reduce the 33% of PA he struck out in Hartford (6% walks). Even against better pitching, he maintained nearly no platoon splits in his OPS.
Fernandez solely played defensively in right field, or as a designated hitter, appearing in 101 games with four errors and eleven outfield assists. Fernandez spent the last month of 2023 in the Puerto Rico Winter League. Despite struggling there (hitting.225/.271/.270 in 96 PA), he was 6.2 years younger than the league average and gained some useful experience facing much older pitching.
Here is a video featuring Fernandez’s best moments from 2023. The throw at the five-minute mark is my favorite.
