Kiké Hernández, born Enrique José Hernández González, is a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros, and he made his major league debut in 2014. But, how exactly did Hernandez get drafted?

Hernández attended the Puerto Rico American Military Academy and was a standout second baseman during his high school years. He was scouted by several teams, but it was the Astros who took a chance on him with the 192nd pick in 2009's draft. At the time, many scouts felt that his plate discipline and choppy swing rate would prevent him from making it to the majors, and expected his strike out rate would be too high as he made his way through the farm system. Hernández himself was surprised to be drafted in the sixth round and described himself as “…just a skinny kid who nobody wanted.”

However, Hernández proved his critics wrong with an impressive start in the minors. As a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League, he hit .295 with an OBP of .336 and had 16 extra base hits among his 61 hits. Five years later as a 22-year-old playing at both the AA and AAA levels in 2014 he hit .319 with an OBP of .372. At 5’11” and 170 lb, Hernández also displayed some unexpected power with 11 home runs and 25 doubles in 98 games. This allowed him to be noticed by Gold Nugget Prospects Island (GNPI) who named him one of their top 50 prospects in 2014.

This is where the Kiké Hernández story really unfolds. He made his major league debut with the Astros as a 22-year old on July 1st in 2014. In his first game as a major leaguer he went 2-for-2 with a RBI double. The following day he hit a home run off Chris Young of the Seattle Mariners with two out. Hernández played in 24 games with the Astros compiling a .284 batting average and .348 OBP. He played most of his games in the outfield, both center field and left field as well as three at shortstop.

Hernández was traded to the Miami Marlins in December 2014, and joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2015. He has since been traded once more, this time to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Josh Avilan in 2018. Could Kiké Hernández be the next Justin Turner? Consider this: Turner hit seven home runs in 288 at-bats with the Dodgers in 2014, and Hernández hit 11 home runs in 444 at-bats with the Dodgers that same year. Here’s to hoping Kiké Hernández continues to prove his critics wrong!

At the end of the day, it seems that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Kiké Hernández’ journey toward making it to the majors is a testament to the power of hard work and determination. He proved that with strong performances in the minors, combined with an unwavering faith in himself, anything can be achieved. Kiké Hernández was selected by the Astros in 2009’s draft and made his major league debut just five years later with the Seattle Mariners; he has since become an integral part of several teams, most recently the Boston Red Sox. The story of Kiké Hernández is a true testament to the power of perseverance and dedication.