MIDLAND, Texas (KTSM) – Former Americas High School baseball standout Darell Hernaiz is steadily rising up the ranks of Minor League Baseball.
A 21-year-old shortstop, Hernaiz was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Oakland Athletics in the offseason and opened the year with the A’s Double-A affiliate, the Midland RockHounds, in Midland, Texas.
Hernaiz had by far the best game of his 2023 campaign thus far in a wild, 15-14 RockHounds win over the Corpus Christi Hooks on Tuesday afternoon.
The former Trail Blazer went 4-4 at the plate with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning. Hernaiz also had three singles, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base. He added four runs scored, including one in the bottom of the ninth inning on a walk-off hit by Lawrence Butler.
It’s part of a strong start to the 2023 season for Hernaiz, who is currently ranked 15th on Oakland’s list of minor league prospects. He’s hitting .298 with a home run, five RBI, an on-base percentage of .346 and an OPS of .750.
He’s also showing his prowess on the base paths, as he has already stolen five bases in just 12 games. Hernaiz is still a young player, but if he continues his strong start, he could be moving on from Double-A soon.
