Daysbel Hernandez has entrenched himself in a high-leverage role for the Atlanta Braves in 2025. Hernandez picked up the win in yesterday’s 4-1 victory over the Cardinals, helping the Braves finish off a 5-1 homestand.

The win is Hernandez’s second in three days, and his third of the season. He now has seven career wins in just 31 appearances.

Daysbel has drastically cut down his walk rate thus far in 2025. In 48 Triple-A games, he posted 4.4 walks per nine in 20 Major League appearances before the 2025 season, Hernandez walked 5.4 batters per nine innings.

After 11.1 innings in 2025, Hernandez has only three walks, good for a 2.4 BB/9.

Daysbel has long been pegged as a future closer. I even had him ranked as the 8th-best pitching prospect in the organization back in 2020. In that write-up, it was noted he needed to improve his control to succeed at the Major League level. We weren’t saying he needed to be Greg Maddux, because he has the stuff and the strikeout-ability to put a few guys on base here and there, but he needed some improvement.

Daysbel Hernandez’s Slider Usage and Location in 2025

So far in 2025, his control looks impeccable. Daysbel is locating the fastball, which averages 97.2 mph and is in the 91st percentile in velocity. He uses the fastball to complement his 88.6 mph slider, which he uses as his primary pitch, unleashing it 60% of the time.

His slider has been the primary pitch since he arrived in the big leagues in 2023, but the usage has gone up each year.

Hernandez had previously struggled with allowing opposing hitters to pull the ball in the air. However, this year, he has flipped that around and has allowed an elite 7.4% of batted balls to be pulled in the air. Meanwhile, only around 20% of the time the balls in the air (fly balls or line drives) were sent to the opposite field where hitters have less power. This season, that number is a whopping 37%.

Two things have changed with his location in 2025. Last season, his fastball lived in the middle of the zone. This season, he’s doing a great job of consistently hitting the top of the zone and also using the fastball low and away, like a traditional breaking ball would be used.

Last year his slider was consistently low and away, and often out of the zone to right-handed batters. This year, he often locates it in the strike zone. Hitters are gearing up for a fastball that can reach 99, and instead get a slider at 86-87 mph with good movement and end up getting out in front.

2024 Pitch Location Heat Map

2025 Pitch Location Heat Map

Since he uses the slider more than the fastball, some hitters might be sitting breaking ball on Hernandez, but his fastball usage is forcing them to adjust and swing late, which explains all the balls to opposite field.

As long as Hernandez is locating, he’s in control. If hitters are sitting fastball, they are going to struggle as he throws those nasty sliders in for strikes and uses it 60% of the time. If hitters sit breaking ball, then he’s going to overpower them with the heat.

Daysbel Hernandez Statcast

Daysbel Hernandez’s Statcast is lit up with red in 2025.

• Fastball Run Value: 85th Percentile
• Breaking Ball Run Value: 83rd Percentile
• xERA: 96th Percentile
• xBA: 90th Percentile
• Fastball Velo: 91st Percentile
• Average Exit Velocity: 77th Percentile
• Walk Rate: 76th Percentile
• Barrel %: 84th Percentile
• Hard-Hit Rate: 88th Percentile

While his Ks-per-nine is typically in double-digits, he appears to be living a little more in the zone this season and earning tons of soft contact. It is just 11.1 innings so I expect to see the strikeouts surge back into play due to his electric stuff.

Hernandez is showing signs of taking the next step. There is a good chance we are looking at the Braves’ future closer, once Raisel Iglesias is gone.

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