After playing shortstop, second base, and third base for the Orioles, Hernaiz has mainly stuck to shortstop since joining the A’s. However, in 2023, he only played 13 games at second base and one at third, while playing 112 games at shortstop. This season, Hernaiz split his playing time between shortstop and third base, in hopes of increasing his chances of making the big league roster due to the A’s needing a third baseman. The signing of veteran infielder J.D. Davis filled the third base gap for the time being, but the A’s still offered Hernaiz a spot on the roster after a solid performance in spring training, where he batted .313/.340/.333 and only struck out 16.9% of the time in 53 at-bats.
Looking forward to the regular season, Hernaiz is expected to bring strong defensive skills to all parts of the infield as a backup for Davis, Allen, and Gelof. His impressive contact rates, disciplined approach at the plate, and speed will also make him a valuable asset off the bench, capable of being used as a pinch hitter or runner. In case of injuries or underperformance in the infield, Hernaiz will likely compete with Toro for playing time, but the team may also consider promoting a prospect like Diaz during the season.
According to manager Mark Kotsay, infielder Darell Hernaiz will start the season in the big leagues. This was confirmed by Jason Burke of Inside The A’s. Hernaiz was added to the team’s 40-man roster last November prior to the Rule 5 Draft, and he will make his MLB debut with the club this year.
Hernaiz, who is 22 years old, was selected by the Orioles in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He was later traded to the A’s in January of last year in exchange for left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin. In his first season with Oakland, the young player had a breakthrough performance, batting .321/.386/.456 in a total of 131 games between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. While Hernaiz didn’t hit many home runs (only nine last season), he did display impressive abilities to reach base with a strikeout rate of 13.4% and a walk rate of 8.9%. The youngster also has great speed, demonstrated by his impressive 54 successful steals out of 64 attempts while with the Orioles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. However, with the A’s last year, he only managed to steal 13 bags in 18 attempts.