Pirates Thought Odds ‘Were Against’ Drafting Seth Hernandez

The Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t believe right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez was still on the board at No. 6 during the 2025 MLB Draft.

Hernandez ranked No. 3 in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings. As players went off the board, though, the 19-year-old was still there for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates wasted no time taking him off the board.

“If we’re being honest, we thought the odds (of us drafting him) were against that,” director of amateur scouting Justin Horowitz said, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.

The 6-foot-4 pitcher was listed as the top right-hander in the draft. He sits in the mid-90s, touching 97-98 mph with his pitches, and even touched triple digits during the Area Code Games.

During his senior year, the California high school star posted a 0.39 ERA in 53 1/3 innings with 105 strikeouts, allowing just seven walks. He won multiple honors throughout his high school career, including National High School Invitational MVP after throwing a complete game.

With the pick, the Pittsburgh front office is hopeful that Hernandez will help build the organization’s culture.

“I’ll be honest, he’s a great kid to be around. He’s a culture-changer. He’s competitive. He’s focused. He has a professional demeanor about him,” Horowitz said. “He just checks so many of our boxes, to be honest. We were pumped when we had the opportunity to grab him at 6.”

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