There are hot starts to the season, and then there’s what former Washington National Yadiel Hernandez has done through the first 14 games of the season for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos.
Hernandez, 37, is batting .419/.544/.953 with an astonishing 1.497 OPS so far for the Tecos, who are 9-6 to start the season, having clubbed a league-leading seven homers, driven in 19 runs, and drawn 12 walks in 43 at-bats. He’s struck out just six times so far.
In 93 games with Dos Laredos last season, Hernandez had 14 homers and 70 RBIs, playing all 93 games during the regular season for the Binationals. Perhaps more notable, though, is that Hernandez’ hot start to the year comes on the heels of a disappointing winter split between the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico‘s Aguilas de Mexicali and the LIDOM’s Aguilas Cibaenas that saw Hernandez bat .191 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 47 games.
Should he keep this pace going, Hernandez might be able to reach the 20-homer mark for the first time since 2019, when he hit 33 and drove in 90 runs in 126 games with Triple-A Fresno.
Right behind Hernandez is Saul Garza of the Rieleros de Aguascalientes, who has six homers and is batting .385/.432/.872 with a 1.304 OPS. Garza, 27, has shown continuous improvement over his three seasons in the LMB and looks to be on his way to a breakout season
Guerreros de Oaxaca Pin Second Loss of the Season on Diablos Rojos – Down 5-1 as they came to bat in the bottom of the sixth Sunday, the Diablos Rojos came from behind to take the lead with a six-run sixth inning. But the Guerreros weren’t done, getting a pair in the seventh on a two-run single from Yonathan Daza, and then scoring six in the top of the ninth to hand the Diablos their second loss of the season, snapping a 12-game winning streak. Stephen Nogosek gave up six runs, three of which were earned, on five hits to take the loss.