"Standard practice for Giants prospects at his age is to let them play in the Dominican Summer League for a summer or two before bringing them stateside. However, as Cano notes, the Venezuelan-born prospect could play his way as high as Low-A ball to start the 2026 season. If using most of San Francisco's international signing bonus pool to give him a $5 million contract in January wasn't enough of a sign that this organization really believes in the kid, this decision should clarify where the Giants stand."
"This decision is rarified air not just in the context of the Giants' recent history but in the context of baseball's as well. Players at 17 getting on a fast-track toward minor league ball in the States are few and far between. There was Padres prospect Ethan Salas, who debuted for San Diego's Single-A affiliate Lake Elsinore in June 2023, just one week after turning 17."
"Hernández has already shown promise at a professional level, batting .346 in the Venezuelan Major League at just 15 years old. The Giants have not publicly commented on his arrival as of Friday morning, but they have listed him in their player pool for a spring training."
The San Francisco Giants are making an unusual move by bringing 17-year-old prospect Luis Hernández to the United States to begin his professional career, rather than following standard practice of having him play in the Dominican Summer League first. Hernández, born in 2008, received a $5 million contract using most of the Giants' international signing bonus pool and could reach Low-A ball by the 2026 season. This fast-track approach is exceptionally rare in baseball, with only a handful of comparable cases in recent years, including Padres prospect Ethan Salas and Athletics prospect Leo De Vries. Hernández is the Giants' No. 3 prospect and baseball's top international prospect from the recent signing class. He has already demonstrated professional-level ability, batting .346 in the Venezuelan Major League at age 15.
Read at SFGATE
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