Seth Hernandez didn’t play high school baseball until this season, his junior year. He was educated at home. Thirty-three games later, the impression he made, the impact he had and the feats he achieved will not soon be forgotten.
In a season that left many wondering if they were watching a baseball prodigy, Hernandez helped lead Corona High to a 30-3 record and a Southern Section Division 1 title while going 9-0 on the mound with an ERA of 0.62 and hit eight home runs, driving in 34 runs and batting .354 as the third hitter in the lineup.
“He’s as good as any high school baseball player I’ve ever seen,” said coach Andy Wise.
Hernandez, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds, was named The Times High School Baseball Player of the Year in 2024. Committed to Vanderbilt, he is considered a top-three prospect for the 2025 amateur draft.
He made a smooth and effortless transition to high school baseball. He fit in perfectly, using his combination of confidence and humility to be a reliable collaborator. With his bat, he hit clutch hits, including a two-run home run in the section semifinals that helped eliminate Huntington Beach. On the mound, his mid-90s fastball and excellent pitching left him undefeated.
He was having fun playing all the games.
“It feels great to dominate,” he said. “You work hard behind the scenes and when you perform, it’s great. You get a little emotional, but you also keep everything under control.”
“He can do it all,” Wise said. “He is extremely confident, humble, not afraid to fail, smiles in the face of adversity and loves the big moment.”
Joining lefty Ethan Schiefelbein on the mound, Corona proved to be the No. 1 team in the country. The Panthers won the National High School Invitational in North Carolina before ending the season with five playoff victories against tough Division 1 opponents.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
