Look for Marlins' Heriberto Hernandez to Step Up in 2027

The current incarnation of the Miami Marlins has been largely built around pitching, speed, but one Marlins star has the kind of power that goes beyond that blueprint.

Outfielder Heriberto Hernandez had a solid year for the Fish in 2026, and he shows the potential to develop into a middle-of-the-order masher for the Marlins. And while he may never lead the league in long balls, the Dominican native can have a presence at the plate that Miami desperately needs going forward.

The 26-year-old star hit just .228 during the campaign, but hit 25 home runs and had 67 RBI with a .452 slugging percentage in 448 at-bats over 130 games. While those are above-average marks, he also needs to improve his contact at the plate; Hernandez struck out 134 times last year. 

While those aren't massive numbers and didn't warrant an All-Star consideration, they provide a foundation for the young hitter going forward. Hernández has roughly five more seasons of team control (until 2031). That makes him a potential long-term piece for Miami rather than a short-term rental, although the Marlins could trade him before then.

That's probably not going to happen, because Hernandez has proven that he can be an affordable middle-of-the-road ER type player for Miami. He's not really suited to be any MLB team's everyday cleanup hitter. However, in the fifth or sixth hole, he's in position to be a run producer and important contributor.

Hernandez has been well-traveled in his professional baseball career. He was originally signed as an international free agent by the Texas Rangers in 2017 as a teenager. He was then traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 before eventually being bounced to the Marlins. He made his debut in The Show on May 30, 2025.

While the two trades shouldn't be any kind of indicator to his actual value, it did hinder his progress to the bigs just a little due to changing scenery. So while he's moving towards his 30s, he has limited time on Major League fields. Particularly for someone who was drafted so young. Most Caribbean signees typically debut around the age of 25.

However, don't let the youngsters late arrival fool you: He should be in the everyday lineup in 2027 as one of the club's featured bats. He seems best suited batting behind the cleanup hitter, providing protection and a solid threat to go yard. Out of his appearances last year, 110 were starts. So, the Fish need to focus on getting him more at-bats.

That shouldn't be a problem, as manager Clayton McCullough seems to hold the hitter in high regard. So it will be interesting to see what Hernandez can do with a full season of confidence from his skipper, as well as his own. He could extend to stats that look more like 30 homers and 90 ribbies in the upcoming season.

“Bert can hit, and one thing Bert can do is he can hit velocity, and he can hit in-zone spin, and he handles left-handers very well," McCullough stated earlier this year. "

“This guy has some real whip and snap in his bat, and when you can hit velocity and you can handle mistake spin and elevate the ball to the pull side like Bert can, he has some real strengths and some things that lead to his ability to do damage.”