SAN FRANCISCO — The honor role of players who have competed in the All-Star Futures Game is stunning.
Here is a very partial list: Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Justin Verlander, Joey Votto, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Altuve, Paul Goldschmidt, Madison Bumgarner, Manny Machado, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado.
Saturday night at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Rockies outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez suited up for the National League squad. There are no guarantees Fernandez will ever join the aforementioned list, but right now, he just might be the Rockies’ most exciting and dynamic player of the future.
The 20-year-old outfielder, signed as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2019, is turning heads whenever he steps on the field. He’s burst onto the scene like a supernova.
Fernandez began the season at Low-A Fresno and was quickly promoted to High-A Spokane, where he was named Northwest League player of the month for May. The left-handed hitter slashed .385/.419/.726, hit 10 homers and drove in 35 runs.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder with a golden arm needed just 58 games at Spokane to prove he was ready for the fast track. He was promoted to Double-A Hartford on June 20. In his first game with the Yard Goats, he hit a home run, because, well, that’s what Fernandez does.
He’s getting rave reviews from discriminating baseball men.
“Yanquiel is a special talent,” Yard Goats manager Chris Denorfia said. “He can impact the game in so many ways. The power potential is huge. He’s showing a developing eye for the strike zone and he has one of the strongest throwing arms I’ve seen, at this level, on any team.”
In 74 minor league games this season, Fernandez has slashed .304/.355./.588 with 22 homers, 15 doubles and three triples. He has more RBIs (77) than games played.
“It’s unbelievable,” Rockies farm director Chris Forbes said. “It’s been like a video game.”
Playing for the Yard Goats in the tough Eastern League tends to bring players back to earth. You can ask top Rockies prospect Zac Veen about that. And in Fernandez’s first 13 games at Double-A, he came back down to earth, a bit, slashing .244/.352/.578. Still, he slugged five homers and drove in 10 runs.
Jeff Dooley, the voice of the Yard Goats on radio and TV since 2015, and a minor league broadcaster for more than 25 years, doesn’t hold back his excitement for the prospect.
“Yanquiel is a special talent and he’s attracted some well-deserved attention for his monster season in the minors,” Dooley said. “It’s rare to see this kind of start for a 20-year-old kid. Rockies fans should be excited about his future.”
Fernandez is sure to experience growing pains, on and off the field. There are holes in his swing and he tends to be over-aggressive at the plate, which is fine for the low minors but can be exploited as he gets closer to the majors. He’s got raw speed but needs to figure out how to utilize it on the bases.
But the desire is there and Fernandez is displaying an aptitude for the game.
While playing for Spokane, Fernandez often sat on the bench next to Robinson Cancel, soaking up the nuances of the game. Before his first game at Hartford, while shagging balls during batting practice, he experimented with how the ball was bouncing off the walls in right field. He did that on his own accord.
“He’s unbelievably coachable right now,” Forbes said. “His time is coming, but let’s keep checking off the boxes.”
Making predictions about prospects is a tricky proposition, but a 2024 debut for the kid from Cuba is not out of the question.
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