Pirates select Seth Hernandez with first round pick in 2025 MLB Draft

The Pirates nailed it with this first pick!

The Pittsburgh Pirates held the sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, with many wondering what direction they were going to go in with their first selection. There were several players linked to the Pirates’ draft plans throughout the scouting process, but it was right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez that had his number called by Pittsburgh.

MLB Pipeline had Hernandez ranked as the third overall prospect in this year’s draft class, as he exploded onto the high school baseball scene starting in his junior year. A homeschooled student up until his junior year, Hernandez quickly made an impact when he started playing for Corona (CA) High School.

Hernandez had an incredible showing in his first year with the Corona Panthers, holding a perfect 9-0 record with a 0.62 ERA and 73 strikeouts. Not to mention he also had 8 homers in 2024 while having an overall batting average of .352, but his 2025 season was even better on the mound. In 53 ¹⁄₃ innings, Hernandez would go on to strike out 105 batters, and had a 0.39 ERA and a 9-1 record. He would be named the National Gatorade Player of the Year in 2025, after already being named the California Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024.

In back-to-back years, the Pirates have selected some the top high school players in the country, as Konnor Griffin was drafted ninth overall last year and was ranked above every other high school player in the country. So far, Griffin is living up to those high expectations in the minor leagues, with many thinking he could make his MLB debut before legal drinking age.

Scouts graded Hernandez with an overall score of 60. His fastball was rated as a 70, but realistically has three very strong pitches as his curve and changeup are just as deadly. The Pirates have been developing several pitchers with great fastballs over the past couple of seasons, as Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler all are known for their dominance with that pitch.

Hernandez committed to Vanderbilt, and has been on the radar for a lot of baseball programs for his elite pitch selection, size and athleticism, and his control on the mound.