The Los Angeles Dodgers value clubhouse character, defensive flexibility and depth like no other organization, and have strategically acquired players over recent seasons that specifically fill those areas.
One player that checks off all of those boxes is Kiké Hernandez, who appeared at seven different positions last season while receiving the majority of his playing time against left-handed pitching.
So far this spring, Hernandez has received more opportunities against right-handed pitching and is certainly making the most of them. In Wednesday’s victory over the Colorado Rockies, he slugged a home run, double, and finished with with five RBI off flamethrower Jon Gray.
After the game, Hernandez acknowledged his struggles against right-handers over the last two seasons, but believes he’ll naturally improve with more exposure to them, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I started to get my confidence back,” he said. “The more I see righties, the better I’ll get. So far, having a pretty good spring, and hopefully it carries over to the season. At the end of the game, my game will do the talking. I’m realistic. The last two years, I haven’t done the job against righties. I know I’ve got to be better. They haven’t given up on me for a reason. They can play me at a different position every night.”
Last season, Hernandez hit just .159/.244/.255 against right-handed pitching over 165 plate appearances. That’s in contrast to a .270/.367/.579 showing against southpaws across 177 trips to the plate.
For his career, Hernandez owns a lifetime .589 on-base plus slugging percentage against the same split, in comparison to a .883 OPS against left-handers.
Should Hernandez turn the page and become an asset against right-handed pitching, it will only increase his value to the Dodgers. That could lead to increased playing time for Hernandez, which could ultimately prove beneficial in terms of allowing additional rest for other players on the roster.
