For the second consecutive year, the Giants have opened the international signing period by landing the highest-ranked amateur player from Latin America. This time around, it’s Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernandez, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
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It may not be unanimous, but an overwhelming number of talent evaluators consider Hernandez the top prospect among this year’s international group.
The Giants were able to come to an agreement with Hernandez despite having just $5,440,000 in pool money this year, tied for the lowest of any club. Hernandez will receive the vast majority of that allotment, but it’s worth noting that organizations can sign international amateurs for $10,000 or less without it counting against their pool.
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Hernandez is one of the most heralded players on the international scene in the past few years. Gifted with immense physical projection and a laundry list of impressive tools, he also earns plus marks for his work ethic and all-around baseball IQ. Hernandez is making a bit of history as the first player born in Venezuela to rank as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect in a given class. (San Diego’s Ethan Salas was signed out of Venezuela in 2023, but was born in the States.)
As a 15-year-old, the right-handed-hitting Hernandez excelled during a stint in the Venezuelan Major League. Playing against much older and more experienced competition, Hernandez hit .346 across 104 plate appearances and showcased his top-tier bat speed and propensity for making loud contact. While he already shows the ability to back-spin the ball, he figures to get to even more extra-base hit prowess as his frame fills out and acclimates to the rigors of pro pitching.
Seen as an above-average runner who is extremely aggressive, Hernandez could serve as a menace on the basepaths, particularly at the lower levels. The combination of his hit, power and run tools add up for him to be a potential 30/30 threat if it all comes together.
Defensively, the 17-year-old has a quick first step at shortstop. If there’s one nitpick of his game, it’s that he has merely an average throwing arm. But it all works due to the fluidity of his movements, as his quick release and sound mechanics help alleviate concerns about his ability to play up the middle long term.
San Francisco has never been shy about shooting for the moon on the international market. Exactly one year ago, it made a seismic splash by landing Josuar Gonzalez, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 class. The shortstop has since torn through the Dominican Summer League and landed on the Top 100 overall prospects list at No. 82, with executives around baseball expecting even more to be in store during his stateside debut this season.
Gonzalez and Hernandez are likely to have just enough separation – at least initially – for both to continue on their upward trajectories as full-time shortstops. But the club also has a group of slick defenders at the six in A ball between Gavin Kilen (SF No. 3), Jhonny Level (No. 4), Maui Ahuna (No. 12), Walker Martin (No. 28) and Lorenzo Meola (No. 29).
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Who’s the shortstop of the future in the Bay Area? That’s a question for a later date. For now, the potential signing of Hernandez is nothing short of an extraordinary addition for the Giants, firmly establishing their reputation as a premier destination on the international market.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.
That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.