Seth Hernandez announced his presence with authority. Actually, scratch that - he announced his presence with 102.4 miles per hour of pure heat on the very first pitch of the game.
Not the third inning when he's warmed up. Not the seventh when the adrenaline is pumping. Pitch. Number. One. And it registered 102.4 on the radar gun, leaving Max Clark and everyone watching absolutely stunned.
You know what 102.4 mph on the first pitch of the game tells you? It tells you this kid doesn't need to work up to elite velocity. He shows up with it. That's not just power, folks - that's a statement. That's walking up to the biggest stage in baseball and saying, "Yeah, I belong here."
I've been around baseball a long time, and I can tell you - guys who can dial it up to triple digits are rare. Guys who can throw 102.4 right out of the gate? That's unicorn territory. That's the kind of arm that makes scouts weak in the knees and batters weak in the box.
Baseball fans, buckle up. Seth Hernandez isn't here to ease into things. He's here to dominate.
