C’s Chat – 2025 Vancouver Canadians OF #24 Alexis Hernández – C's Plus Baseball

2025 Vancouver Canadians outfielder Alexis Hernández is in the spotlight for this episode of C’s Chat.

The Tinaco, Venezuela native was an international free agent signing by the Boston Red Sox on July 29, 2019 and received a $140,000 signing bonus. Hernández’s professional debut was delayed until 2021 because of COVID. He played for the Dominican Summer League Boston Blue squad that year and had a .768 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 41 games with 11 extra-base hits and 18 runs batted in. He split time in left field, right field and first base and made a one-inning appearance at second base in which he handled his lone chance flawlessly.

In 2022, Hernández made his US debut with the Florida Complex League Red Sox and batted .218 in 26 games, seeing time at first base and in the outfield corners. After a four-game tuneup at the FCL, he received his first full-season assignment at Low-A Salem in 2023. Among his teammates was 2024-2025 Vancouver Canadians infielder Cutter Coffey. In an August 9 game against Augusta, Hernández drove in Coffey with the winning run on a walk-off single. One week later, he made a home-run robbing grab at Delmarva. Hernández managed to hold his own against Carolina League pitching with a .252 batting average and a .345 on-base percentage to go along with three home runs, eight doubles and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. His season was cut short by a couple of trips to the injured list in late August and early September after a one-game cameo in the latter month. That turned out to be his last game in the Boston organization.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Hernández in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft on December 6, 2023. His organizational debut saw him return to the Low-A Level with the Dunedin Blue Jays. The injury bug hit Hernández again as he missed all of July, August and September. He did play a then-career high 48 games, managed a solid walk rate of nearly 12 percent and stole 17 bases while getting caught just once. Unfortunately, Hernández did not hit for much power despite managing a career-high four homers.

The 2025 season saw things turn around for Hernández in his second year back in Dunedin. He batted .286 with a .429 on-base percentage in his first eight games in April but he injured his hand sliding into second base after an RBI double against Lakeland on April 17. Hernández returned to action with four rehab games with the FCL Blue Jays in mid-May. He got his timing back with a .261 BA and a .363 OBP while slugging .449 with four doubles and three home runs in June, highlighted by a 11th-inning game-tying two-run home run in an eventual Dunedin win over Fort Myers on June 15 and a walkoff two-run double to give Dunedin a come-from-behind victory against Bradenton on June 28. Hernández remained with Dunedin until late July and had an on-base streak of eight games before being promoted to Vancouver on July 29.

Hernández began his Northwest League career with a bang thanks to a home run in his first at-bat. He would homer again as part of a three-hit night to rack up nine total bases in a win at Tri-City on July 30. His first home run at Nat Bailey Stadium was also launched against the Dust Devils and he drew a ninth-inning walk that preceded a Sean Keys home run for a comeback walkoff win for Monty’s Mounties on August 23. Hernández finished the season strong with a .293/.358/.467 slash line in 26 games with Vancouver. During his time with the C’s, Hernández spent the majority of his time in center field with 15 starts and did not commit an error in the eight-spot, the seven-spot or the nine-spot. He returned to his native Venezuela this fall to play for the Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.

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C’s Plus Baseball spoke with the now 23-year-old Hernández with translation provided by C’s mental performance coach Juan Garcia during the team’s final homestand against Everett in September. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – Alexis, you’re from Venezuela. How did you get started in baseball?

Alexis Hernández (translated by Juan Garcia) – It was my Dad that got me started. I started playing in little league at 10 years old.

CPB – Who did you play for before you joined the professional ranks?

AH – I started playing at an academy from 13 to 16 years old. I went through a setback with a elbow injury and had surgery. And then went through that process and got better and was picked up by Boston.

CPB – I had read that you were a pitcher before and hearing about this injury. Was that the reason you gave up pitching and decided to become an outfielder?

AH – Yeah, the transition was not easy. I had a coach that saw something in me that his Dad nor himself saw, which was his athleticism as an outfielder. Once I relied and kind of trusted that, I just decided to keep working on it and train and practice through it. It’s been challenging but I’m just taking it day by day. I have worked hard at getting better at that position.

CPB – You signed with the Boston Red Sox.and made it as far as Salem in the Red Sox system. When you look back at your time there, any special memories that stand out?

AH – I had some great moments in Salem. It was a great city to be in. One of my favourite moments was my first home run that I robbed at the fence and just the memories I made with teammates along the way.

CPB – So 2023 rolls around and you are drafted by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft. How did you find out about it?

AH – It was during the off-season. I was at home in Venezuela. I was just lying in bed when I got a text from (Boston Executive Vice President and Assistant General Manager) Eddie Romero saying that I was going to be signed by the Blue Jays and then I got that call from the Blue Jays. I was not expecting it because I was going through my off-season and I was focused on having a stronger off-season. I was really shocked but also really excited. The Red Sox wished me well with my career and I was happy to move forward.

CPB – Who did you hear from with the Blue Jays and what did they tell you?

AH – I’m not quite sure who actually called me because the signal wasn’t the strongest. They were talking in English so it was hard for me to understand all of that.

CPB – What was the adjustment like, leaving some of your friends with the Red Sox and joining the Blue Jays?

AH – The differences coming from Boston to the Blue Jays, it wasn’t necessarily the lack of preparation or anything like that. It was just being alone in a new environment was all new to me, so that was really challenging. So I had to adapt and learn the system and learn how to get my routines back into place so that was a bit challenging.

CPB – Heading into 2025, you’re back with Dunedin and you got off to a great start, but you had a hand injury. What was that like trying to recover from that and then trying to get back into a groove again?

AH – My mindset during my rehab process and what helped it be so seamless and transitioning back to playing was that I focused every single day on being a better person and being a better player and really leveraging my family as motivation. They would constantly talk on a day-to-day basis and they would encourage me to continue going through my process. It’s not about how you start, but how you finish. So that was my mindset through that process.

CPB – You had a really good month of June and were still hitting well in July. What was the key to your success putting up some really good numbers in Dunedin as soon as you came back from your injury?

AH – Yeah, just simplifying my process, my routines. Baseball is hard if you make it hard. And so for me mentally, just having the confidence in myself and my abilities to compete and let myself play freely is what helped me perform in June and July.

CPB – What is your process when you step into the batter’s box? Is it simply just a case of see ball, hit ball, or what do you focus on when you’re at the plate?

AH – It starts with my preparation, my practice before the game gets going. Through practice, I’m anticipating what I’m going to face and developing my process there for the pitcher I’m facing. When it comes to the game, it’s see the ball and hit the ball.

CPB – You get promoted to here in Vancouver. How did you react when you found out?

AH – I was very excited because I wanted to play in this stadium since 2024. I’ve heard about Vancouver and how awesome it is to play here. That’s something I’ve looked forward to. When I got the call and they told me I was moving up, I was very, very grateful and super excited and I’m happy to be here.

CPB – Your very first game in Tri-City, two home runs. First at bat, you homered. What do you remember about that night?

AH – The night before, I was watching a film on the pitcher I was going to face. And I thought to myself, ‘This is one of the better pitchers in the league.’ And so I knew that I just wanted to come in and compete and have fun. And so I put together a plan. I asked God for help. I put everything in God’s hands. And I had two strikes. When I hit that home run, I just saw an inside cutter and reacted to it and that’s how that went.

CPB – And that was Chris Cortez who you faced and he throws sometimes 100 miles an hour. But it seems like you don’t shy away from high end velocity. What’s the process when you face a guy like that, a guy who throws really hard?

AH – It really just comes down to simplifying my swing. When guys throw hard, it’s just about being on time. There’s nothing more I can tell you because I put my trust and faith in God. And that’s what allowed me to perform that night.

CPB – I want to ask you about the defensive side of things. Since you’ve come here, you’ve seen a bit more time in center field. How have you enjoyed playing in center field after playing in left field and right field in Dunedin?

AH – When (former Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder) Kevin Kiermaier came in, I had the opportunity to ask him a ton of questions and learn from someone like him. I’m really grateful I had that opportunity. I also feel like having a good first step and having a strong arm and my skills allow me to be comfortable in center field. But ultimately, it’s a dream of mine to be a true center fielder.

CPB – Speaking of Kevin Kiermaier, now that you bring him up, I’m sure he gave you lots of advice on playing center field. But maybe is there one piece of advice that stuck with you?

AH – Yeah, what really stood out to me and what I took away learning from Kevin Kiermaier was, you practice how you play. So you want to practice at 100% so that way you’re competing at 100%. Because if you’re practicing at 50%, then that’s what’s going to show up in-game. So it really comes down to preparing. So my preparation, whether it’s BP, fungos, working off the machine, getting fly balls, do that 100%. That way, that’s what shows up in-game.

CPB – What has it been like playing outfield here at Nat Bailey Stadium? It’s really a pitcher’s park with lots of ground to cover. How have you enjoyed playing outfield here at the Nat?

AH – One of the first things I did when I got here to help me get accustomed to the outfield was I walked the entire outfield. Just kind of get a feel and a read for what it’s like. Once I got out here for some early work, I was just working the angles of the outfield and how that was going to play for the position I was going to be in. It hasn’t been hard for me to get used to the stadium.

CPB – I read Miguel Cabrera was your favourite player growing up. Did you have a favourite team growing up?

AH – The New York Yankees was my favourite team. My favourite players there were Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. When I signed with Boston, that was a bit weird for me.

CPB – Final question, the Canadians have lots of different uniforms—blue, red, black, white, gray, the lumberjack uniform. Do you have a favourite?

AH – Yeah, my favorite uniform is the all-white uniforms. But on the road, I love wearing the reds. I feel really good in the red and white uniforms.

Alexis Hernández File

Born – October 5, 2002 in Tinaco, Venezuela
Height/Weight – 6’1″, 210 pounds
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 25 for the Dominican Summer League Red Sox in 2021, wore number 43 and number 23 with the Florida Complex League Red Sox in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Wore number 38 with the Salem Red Sox in 2023. Wore number 30 for the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2024. Wore number 88 with the FCL Blue Jays and wore number 11 for Dunedin in 2025.
Professional Debut – July 12, 2021, for the Dominican Summer League Boston Blue vs. DSL Royals White
First Professional Hit – July 13, 2021, for the DSL Boston Blue at DSL Royals White. Singled off Luis Martinez.
First Professional Home Run – August 3, 2021, for the DSL Boston Blues vs. DSL Dodgers Shoemaker. Belted two-run homer off Felix Cabrera.
C’s Debut – July 30, 2025, at the Tri-City Dust Devils.
First C’s Home Run – July 30, 2025, at Tri-City. Homered off Chris Cortez in first Northwest League at-bat as part of two-homer and three-hit night.
Instagram – @alexis13javier
Now You Know – There are two players in affiliated pro baseball named Alexis Hernández. The other is a 20-year-old shortstop in the Chicago Cubs system who hails from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Now You Know Even More – Two players named Alexis have played for the Toronto Blue Jays. Infielder Alexis Infante played for the Jays from 1987-1989 and outfielder Alex (Alexis) Rios was with Toronto from 2004-2009.