Yet another Wichita Wingnut is headed to affiliated baseball. INF Luis Hernandez (pictured) becomes the fifth player sold from the Wichita Wingnuts to a Major League organization in 2015, as his contract has been sold to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hernandez will report to the Class AAA Salt Lake Bees in the Pacific Coast League. Salt Lake is in the midst of its final home series of the year, playing host to the Tacoma Rainiers through Thursday.
Hernandez was batting .255 (64-for-251) with Wichita at the time of the sale. In 67 games, he accumulated 19 doubles, one home run and 37 RBI. The Venezuelan’s lone home run came on July 31 in an interleague game against the Can-Am League’s New Jersey Jackals. His blast helped push the Wingnuts to a 3-1 win. He also had numerous multi-hit games on the year, including four three-hit nights. His first time achieving the feat was on May 22 at the Joplin Blasters, when he was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored in a 10-3 win. The feat was repeated June 7 at the Lincoln Saltdogs, when Hernandez recorded a 3-for-6 line with an RBI and two runs scored in a 15-9 win. Hernandez waited until June 27 for another three-hit game, when he was 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored in a 16-8 win over Joplin. Hernandez’s last three-hit game came in his final game in a Wingnuts uniform, a 3-for-3 performance on August 11 against the Grand Prairie AirHogs. He drove in three in a 7-5 Wichita win.
2015 was Hernandez’s first time playing professionally in two seasons. Before joining the Wingnuts, he had spent 12 seasons in various systems, reaching the Major Leagues on four separate occasions. His career began in 2002 with the Gulf Coast League Braves, and he remained with the Atlanta system through 2006, when he played 19 games for class AAA Richmond. From there, it was on to the Baltimore Orioles’ system, where he primarily played with Class AA Bowie in 2007, but eventually earned the call to the majors, playing in 30 games with Baltimore. Hernandez debuted on July 8, 2007 against the Texas Rangers, and hit .290 that season with two doubles, a home run and seven RBI. Hernandez split 2008 between the Orioles and Class AAA Norfolk. In 36 games at the Major League level, Hernandez hit .241 with a double and three RBI. A year later, it was off to the Kansas City Royals’ system, and another year of bouncing up and down. Hernandez played in 37 Major League games in 2009, hitting .205 and collecting one double and four RBI. 2010 saw his third organization in as many years, as Hernandez went to the New York Mets’ system. He played at Class AA Binghamton, Class AAA Buffalo and in the Major Leagues. In just 17 Big League games, Hernandez hit two of his three career home runs. After spending all of 2011 in Buffalo, he wound up in the Texas Rangers’ system for 2012. In addition to 129 games at Class AAA Round Rock, he was 0-for-2 in two games in the Majors. Hernandez’s last professional experience was 41 games for the Cleveland Indians’ Class AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers in 2013.
Hernandez joins LHP Jarret Leverett (San Francisco), INF Alberto Gonzalez (Detroit), RHP Dakota Watts (Texas), and RHP Omar Bencomo (Minnesota) as Wingnuts sold in 2015. Wichita continues a home series on Wednesday evening, hosting the Amarillo Thunderheads at 7:05 p.m. Central time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
