Potential 5-tool standout Hernandez among Padres' 2026 int'l signings

The Padres have made history on the international market over the past few years due to the high-ranking nature of their signees. After landing the then-No. 1 players in their respective classes, Ethan Salas in 2023 and Leo De Vries in ‘24, the club was heavily involved in the Roki Sasaki (No. 1 in ‘25) sweepstakes last January.

They didn’t land the No. 1 overall prospect in 2026 but they did pick up left-hander Diego Serna -- considered by evaluators to be one of the top pitchers in the class -- from Mexico. They also signed Cuban shortstop Joniel Hernandez, No. 13 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 Prospects list and a potential five-tool standout, along with infielder Timothy Mogen out of Curaçao.

“Every year is different, and we’ve got a few playbooks with our international scouting department, depending on the cycle of that year, the talent of that year,” scouting director Chris Kemp said in a video conference call on Thursday night. “We had all the options on the board. But, yeah, it will be a depth class with a lot of interesting prospects.”

Hernandez pulls down a $1.4 million signing bonus -- the highest handed out this year from the Padres’ $5,940,000 in pool money.

Hernandez fits the mold of a blockbuster international signee, a premium athlete with tons of physical projection. He has the “whippy” type of right-handed swing that excites evaluators and portends more power to come as he fills out his 6-foot-1 frame. Working with a short stride and quick hands, he has excelled in tournaments across the D.R. and already gained a reputation as a potential middle-of-the-order bat.

As is often the case with the best athletes on the international market, Hernandez has spent most of his time as an amateur at shortstop. But some evaluators who have seen him think his long strides could work in center field or he could move to second or third base if he fills out as expected.

“With Hernandez, it’s the tools, it’s the bat speed,” said Kemp. “Up-the-middle athlete who grades out plus in a lot of categories for us. So he’s a fun player to watch.”

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Serna made a pair of appearances for his native Mexico at the U15 World Cup in Colombia in August 2024 and racked up 12 strikeouts over seven one-hit innings. He has long been considered his country’s premier pitching prospect among the 2026 class, traditionally sitting at 90-92 mph when at his best. He will be just 17 years old for all of his first professional season, which should give him time to find a groove with his delivery and secondary offerings.

“He throws a lot of strikes, and he’s had a lot of production in international tournaments for Team Mexico,” Kemp said. “With Mogen, you’re looking at what [general manager] A.J. [Preller] likes to call a shrink-the-field guy -- a 6-4 shortstop with wingspan, range, runs a 6.5 60, going to have a plus arm and has great makeup from Curacao. Just a fun overall package on all three.”

Last season, San Diego signed the top left-handed pitcher in the class in Carlos Alvarez (No. 39 overall), a 6-foot-4 hurler from the Dominican Republic. While he struggled with control in his first taste of pro ball last summer, he remains extremely projectable at 18 years old and figures to make up a significant portion of the club’s next pitching wave at the lower levels alongside fellow southpaws Kruz Schoolcraft (Padres No. 2/MLB No. 95) and Kash Mayfield (No. 4).

While De Vries was part of the package sent to the Athletics to acquire Mason Miller at last year’s Trade Deadline, San Diego’s system has been able to continually retool due in large part to its success on the international market. Two other players signed at this time last year are already among their Top 30 prospects – Deivid Coronil (No. 9) and Jhoan De La Cruz (No. 17) – as is right-hander Lan-Hong Su (No. 15), who was a late 2025 signee. All told, 13 members of that list (including five of the top seven) were acquired via international free agency.

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.