Much-hyped Chicago Cubs infield prospect gets the call-up to South Bend

In 2021, the Chicago Cubs looked like they landed a future superstar with the international signing of Cristian Hernández. The Dominican Republic-born shortstop was given a $3 million bonus and came with sky-high potential, earning comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and quickly cracking into MLB's top 100 prospects. It hasn't been particularly smooth sailing from there, but he's finally earned the call-up to High-A South Bend after finally putting things together this year.

Hernández peaked at #81 on Baseball America's prospect rankings in 2022. Myrtle Beach, however, proved to be a challenge for him upon getting assigned there in 2023. He struggled with a .223/.302/.301/77 wRC+ slash line coupled with a 27.4% strikeout rate and only a 9% walk rate. 2024 has been an improvement in nearly every aspect, with the slash line improved to a far more imposing .266/.380/.404/133 wRC+ and marked improvements in strikeout rate (23%), walk rate (14.5%), and even stolen bases (37), where he ranks fourth in the Carolina League.

The power still hasn't come along for Hernández at only a .138 ISO and five home runs, but he's clearly done enough to earn his next challenge. Over the last 28 days, he's seen the pop come a bit more naturally too, with a .300/.364/.450 line across 66 plate appearances. At only 20 years old, he's still in a good spot developmentally and could still be far from the peak of his potential.

Currently, Hernández is ranked as the Cubs' #17 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, having since been passed by Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw, Cade Horton, Kevin Alcantara, and many more exciting names. He's not even the most hyped international prospect in the system at the moment, as eyes have turned to the more recently signed Fernando Cruz who has been hailed as one of the greatest IFA pick-ups the team has made in recent years.

However, Hernández's combination of power, speed, and even fielding once again makes him one to watch going forward as he adjusts to South Bend. He and his brother Alexis Hernández had fans dreaming of the possibilities earlier this year when both were mashing at Myrtle Beach. The latter is still going through his own adjustment period in Low-A, but it may not be long before they continue their rise together if he follows a similar trajectory.

The Cubs need to see more prospects popping as evaluations sour

The Cubs' farm system has quickly lost its luster after the promotions of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks, among others, thanks to a lack of depth past the first eight to ten spots. Recent rankings from Kiley McDaniel at ESPN have re-evaluated Chicago as a roughly middle-of-the-pack group of prospects, a far cry from their #2 spot before the season began. If lower-ranked, high-upside names like Hernández can continue making strides, though, it'll do some work to restore confidence in the Cubs' ability to get the best out of their farm hands.

Development isn't linear and Hernández is proof of that. Starting at South Bend now will give him a head start on meeting the challenges of the level before getting a full year of runway in 2025. The Cubs are no doubt eager to see where he goes from there. He's still young, so there's still a chance he takes off with more experience and more growth.