One of our youngest Sox Populi All-Stars, 19-year-old Ronny Hernandez, could definitely play his way into Chicago’s future plans at catcher/DH. The Sox signed the Venezuelan native in June 2022 at age 17 and quickly assigned him to the DSL, where he flourished offensively, hitting .268/.383/.526 with a .909 OPS. He also flashed a bit of pop, with six bombs in 97 at-bats. The backstop’s defense was equally notable, as he threw out 51% of base stealers.

In 2023, Hernandez continued his development by playing in the ACL. Again, he splashed with the bat, slashing .338/.430/.493 with a .923 OPS, three homers, and 36 RBIs. His outstanding performance earned him an ACL Postseason All-Star selection.

The lefty made his affiliate debut in 2024 with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, where he played all year. He rose to the challenge again in a league where he was up against older and more seasoned talent. Young for level (-1.5 years), Hernandez hit a solid .272/.387/.328 with a .715 OPS. One of the more significant improvements in his offensive game is that he cut his strikeout rate down to 17.1% this season from 21.6% in 2022 and 23.6% in 2023.

Behind the plate, Hernandez was almost flawless. He committed only one error over 486 defensive chances with just three passed balls. His defensive range per game is incredible at 8.98. To put that in perspective, Adley Rutschman’s RPG is 8.84, so Ronny’s in pretty good company regarding that metric. Watching him improve as he moves through the system is precisely the type of development you love seeing in a young player.

Congratulations to Ronny on a terrific season!

2024 Sox Populi White Sox Minor League All-Star Team
Ronny Hernandez (C)
Edgar Quero (C) (Player of the Year)
Caden Connor (1B)
Tim Elko (1B)
Ryan Galanie (1B)
Wilmer Difo (2B)
Brooks Baldwin (SS)
Zach DeLoach (LF)
Mason Adams (RHSP)
Aldrin Batista (RHSP)
Ky Bush (LHSP)
Lucas Gordon (LHSP)
Noah Schultz (LHSP) (Pitcher of the Year)
Drew Thorpe (RHSP)
Eric Adler (RHRP)
Adisyn Coffey (RHRP)

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Ronny Hernandez Photo: Tiffany Wintz/Sox Populi