Ronaldo Hernandez added to Arizona Fall League

Fresh off being named the 4th best prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays system by Baseball America, Ronaldo Hernandez has been added to the Peoria Javelinas roster in the Arizona Fall League.

Set to turn 21 in November, Hernandez originally signed with the Rays in 2014 as an infielder, but was soon after transitioned to behind the plate. After a couple of summers playing in the Dominican Republic, Hernandez made his stateside debut in 2017 with the Princeton Rays, and since then all he has done is hit.

This season, with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Hernandez was among the league leaders in home runs as he laid waste to opposing pitchers. Overall, he slashed .284/.339/.494 with 21 HR over 449 plate appearances. Here’s part of BA’s write up on RH:

Hernandez has legitimate 20-plus homer potential [...] carries himself as a confident leader. A below-average receiver, he needs to improve his blocking ability and soften his hands as he receives and frames. He has a 70 arm that can shut down running games.

In other words, Hernandez is still learning how to be catcher, but has already displayed impressive arm strength. His future depends on how much he can improve his other receiving skills behind the dish.

As he heads to Arizona, Hernandez will join seven other members of the Rays organization: Matt Krook, Brandon Lawson, Dalton Moats, Phoenix Sanders, Lucius Fox, Joe McCarthy, and Ryan Boldt.