"The Blue Jays acquired Hernández before the 2017 trade deadline, with the outfielder breaking out in June of 2019 after a stint in Triple-A. Over his next 1660 plate appearances from Jun. 5, 2019, until the end of the 2022 season, Hernández slashed .277/.332/.525 with 96 home runs, for a 131 wRC+. During that span, he earned MVP votes in 2020 and 2021, the same two years he won a Silver Slugger for the outfield. He also earned his first All-Star Game nomination in 2021."
"It was a heavy price to pay considering Hernández's past three and a half seasons, but at the time, Swanson looked worth it. The right-handed pitcher was coming off a 2022 season in which he posted a 1.68 ERA and 1.85 FIP over 53.2 innings, with a 34 K% and 4.9 BB%. Unsurprisingly, Swanson regressed a bit in 2023, finishing the season with a 2.97 ERA and 3.51 FIP in 66.2 innings pitched, with a 28.6 K% and an 8 BB%."
"Hernández only played one season with the Mariners as he was set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. In 678 plate appearances, the outfielder slashed .258/.305/.435 with 26 home runs for a 107 wRC+, his worst season since the 2019 season. Afterwards, Hernández signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning back-to-back World Series, with Hernández regaining his form in 2024, before being around league average in 2025."
Hernández broke out after a 2019 Triple-A stint, producing a .277/.332/.525 slash line, 96 homers and a 131 wRC+ from June 2019 through 2022, earning MVP votes, Silver Sluggers and an All-Star nod. Defensive limitations surfaced in the 2022 Wild Card Series, prompting the Blue Jays to trade Hernández to the Mariners for reliever Erik Swanson. Swanson arrived on strong 2022 performance but regressed in 2023 and struggled with injury and performance in 2024. Hernández posted a down 2023 with Seattle, then signed with the Dodgers, won consecutive World Series, and rebounded in 2024 before returning to league-average production in 2025.
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