Fansided

Keep an eye on these 5 MLB players you haven’t heard of yet

By Baasil Ebrahim

JUPITER, FL - MARCH 10: Lewis Brinson
JUPITER, FL - MARCH 10: Lewis Brinson /
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CLEARWATER, FL – MARCH 20: Teoscar Hernandez (37) of the Blue Jays hits a line drive into the outfield during the spring training game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 20, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FL – MARCH 20: Teoscar Hernandez (37) of the Blue Jays hits a line drive into the outfield during the spring training game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 20, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Teoscar Hernandez

For Teoscar Hernandez, it is largely a question of opportunity. He is a member of a crowded Blue Jays outfield, composed of Kevin Pillar, Randall Grichuk, and Curtis Granderson. Last year, he posted a .371 wOBA, a measurement of offensive production, which was better than Christian Yelich, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager. However he only had 95 plate appearances, and couldn’t put up the incredible numbers that his counterparts did.

In those 95 plate appearances, he had quality contact 9.5% of the time, tying him for the seventh best percentage in the MLB. If he can keep up this percentage and be given adequate opportunities, he could bust into the spotlight.

It would make sense to platoon him with the aging Granderson, as Granderson is a left-handed hitter and Hernandez is right-handed. However, Hernandez hits right-handed pitchers much better than left-handed pitchers, so the traditional platoon may not suit him. He and Granderson hit lefties almost equally, but Hernandez is far better against righties so he may end up surpassing Granderson on the depth chart to get his chances.

After a .975 OPS in spring training, Hernandez is ready to take on the MLB for a full season.

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