Hernandez carries Phillies over Nationals with clutch home run
The second baseman is hitting .313 and showing some new-found power
WASHINGTON - For much of their time in spring training, the Phillies ogled two 22-year-old second basemen. Scott Kingery and Jesmuel Valentin generated strong impressions. They headed to Reading and Lehigh Valley, respectively, with confidence that they could each be a part of the future.
That is fine with Cesar Hernandez. He is 26. He is the present, and right now he is the best hitter on the Phillies. He added muscle during the winter, which pairs well with his exceptional on-base skill and above-average glove. Now he can start a rally, like he did Saturday in a 4-2 Phillies win over the Nationals, with a bunt single. Or he can change a game with one powerful hack at a 91-mph Joe Blanton fastball.
"He's turned into a real good major-league player," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
That is high praise, and it may be an understatement. The Phillies won when Hernandez smashed a two-run homer to deep right in the eighth inning of a tie game. It ended a four-game losing streak. It prevented another bullpen melodrama and preserved a victory for Jeremy Hellickson, owner of a 1.59 ERA.
Hernandez, through 11 games, has produced offensive numbers that rival almost any second baseman in baseball. He emerged in the second half of last season as one of the more valuable players in the Phillies' lineup. The start of his 2017 season has only perpetuated that notion. He has become, in short, quite the interesting figure in this Phillies' rebuilding quest.
"When you play every day," Hernandez said, "you can grow more."
Hernandez is batting .313. He has a .353 on-base percentage and a robust .542 slugging percentage. The .895 OPS ranks behind Daniel Murphy and Ian Kinsler for all second basemen. It is among the best for all leadoff hitters across baseball.
Sample sizes are small in mid-April. Things can and will change. But Hernandez, making $2.55 million in the first of his four arbitration years, appears entrenched atop Mackanin's lineup.
"It's pretty good, man, the way he's playing," shortstop Freddy Galvis said. "He understands the situation right now, what he has to do."
The first nine Phillies were retired in order by Nationals righthander Tanner Roark. Hernandez began the fourth inning with a perfect bunt up the third-base line. He easily beat Anthony Rendon's throw to first. The Phillies have implored Hernandez to leverage his speed by attempting a bunt single at least once a game.
Howie Kendrick followed with his own bunt single. Then Odubel Herrera slashed a double to the opposite field to score Hernandez. A Maikel Franco groundout scored Kendrick.
In the eighth, Hernandez batted with the go-ahead run at second. He whiffed at a Blanton change-up on the outside corner. He did not miss the next pitch, a meaty fastball. It was his second home run of the season; he did not collect his second homer last season until June 14, in the Phillies' 65th game.
Hernandez gained strength during offseason workouts in Miami. The Phillies still list him at 160 pounds, but he is closer to 180 this season. The difference is noticeable.
"I can hit the ball harder than last year," Hernandez said. "Maybe that ball I hit today is dead at the wall. So today it was a home run."
Eleven games, plus a robust second half of last season, will not anoint a player. Kingery and Valentin will continue to push Hernandez. The swift Venezuelan has yet to attempt a stolen base this season. That, Mackanin said, is how his second baseman can attain his ceiling.
"The one ingredient that he needs work on - and he's been working on it - is getting jumps to steal bases," Mackanin said. "He's got the potential to steal a lot of bases. He's been working on reading slide steps, when to go, when not to. The other night he was going to attempt to steal, but the pitcher put a slide step on so he shut it down. That's a vast improvement."
For now, the Phillies are satisfied with the version of Hernandez who drives the top of their lineup.
"It was a good day," Galvis said. "He's going to keep doing it. He's learning."
@MattGelb
