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Elier Hernandez is a fantasy baseball OF prospect sleeper and minor leaguer to know. Read our MLB prospects outlooks for fantasy baseball rookies and call-ups.
PROSPECT: Elier Hernandez, OF, Texas Rangers
ANALYSIS: Originally signed by the Royals out of the Dominican in 2011, Hernandez made his debut straight into short-season A-ball in 2012 at 17 years old. He had a bit of hype around him after he hit .301 for that same Pioneer League team the next season, ranking among the top prospects in the Royals system at the time.
However, Hernandez struggled to make contact as he reached full-season ball, and the Rangers signed him as a minor league free agent before the 2021 season. The Rangers spent much of 2022 overhauling Hernandez's swing and refining his batting eye.
Thus far the results have been positive, as Hernandez posted a career-low strikeout rate in 2022 and earned a late-season promotion to the majors. He's hitting even better in 2023 while posting the best walk rate of his career. He is more than a year older than the average PCL player at 28, but the improvements are notable.
VERDICT: While the Texas offense would be a great one to work into, and Hernandez has made significant improvements, fantasy owners shouldn't jump too fast. He's likely not going to tally a lot of HR/SB stats, and it's unlikely that he gets enough playing time to make his R/RBI totals playable in fantasy.
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