Breakout Candidates: Teoscar Hernandez

Fans quickly embraced Teoscar Hernandez upon his acquisition in 2017 from the Francisco Liriano trade. Although he wasn’t a well known prospect, the 24 year old at the time went on an absolute tear during his first season in Toronto, looking like a star in the making, or a bright spot in a down year for the team. Despite only hitting for a .261 average in his 88 at bats with the team, he seriously impressed fans, coaches, and the front office with a power surge in which he hit 8 home runs and 6 doubles, leading to a .602 slugging percentage for the year. The following years weren’t the same story however.

2018— his age 25 season— was arguably his best year of his career thus far. He hit for a .239 average with 22 home runs, 29 doubles, and 7 triples in 467 at bats on the year. He was a clear power hitter, but his contact hitting and fielding abilities were in question. It was no secret that fielding was a major problem for him, and would require major work if he wanted to remain an everyday player with the team. Fans didn’t have to look at stats to know he was well below average, as dropping regular fly balls became a commonality for him, accumulating -14 defensive runs saved. He took huge strides defensively coming into 2019, as he knew that this was an area he had to put work into. He logged a majority of his innings in CF, which didn’t go great, but he was significantly better that in 2018. When in LF however, his numbers actually improved to league average. He is an unlikely candidate to remain in center field long term, but his improvements might have landed him a spot in the future plans as a corner outfielder.

Although Hernandez’s fielding improvements were a great sign and a huge step forward, 2019 was a rough year. Although he actually improved to a career high 26 home runs, his total extra base hits dropped from 58 in 2018 to 47 in 2019. Although he had 59 less at bats, a difference of 11 extra base hits is quite significant. He started the year on a dreadful run contact wise as well, which became another significant concern for the team. After a short stint in AAA Buffalo however, he came back to his usual self.

Hernandez's future plans with the team have been incredibly inconsistent since his acquisition. From being part of the core, to a non tender candidate, and back to the core again again, he is finally beginning to solidify his role with the team. His huge defensive improvements give the team much more confidence going forward in an outfield full of uncertainty. The pop in his bat helps the team in solving its biggest problem — lack of a true power for the middle of the lineup. If he manages to improve his contact hitting over the course of the 2020 season, he will undoubtedly become a very important piece of the lineup in the present, and the future for the team. He has been a player the Jays have been waiting on for quite some time, and a serious breakout year could be in place for 2020 if given the right opportunity. Considering Hernandez rebound after a dreadful start to the 2019 season, he could be poised to finally have a big year, and if he does, then the Blue Jays could have a real shot at the playoffs in 2020 with potentially realigned divisions.