The Dodgers are betting big on Teoscar Hernández, but there’s reason to wonder if his 2024 success can carry over. After signing him to a three-year, $66 million deal, Los Angeles is counting on the outfielder to maintain his All-Star form.
Here’s where it gets interesting. While Hernández put up impressive numbers last year – 33 homers and 99 RBIs – some underlying metrics tell a different story. His hard-hit rate actually dropped from 49.4% to 46.8%, and his average exit velocity dipped from 91.3 to 90.6 mph.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter sees potential warning signs. “He can still be a productive run producer, but if he lands closer to the .741 OPS and 108 OPS+ he logged in Seattle, it will be difficult not to label him as at least a mild bust,” Reuter writes.
Let’s put it this way – Hernández’s 2024 numbers were well above his career averages. The Dodgers must feel confident those weren’t a fluke, given the size of thier investment. What makes this different is how badly both sides wanted to make it work – Hernández made it clear he wanted to stay in LA after helping drive their title run.
The way I see it, this deal could look brilliant if Hernández maintains his 2024 form. The Dodgers are built to contend, and having a proven run producer in the lineup gives them another weapon for another World Series push. But there’s no getting around those declining metrics – they’ll need the 2024 version of Hernández, not the Seattle one, to make this work.
