In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.
This is an excuse to show off the Living Set card of Enrique Hernandez that released after his terrific performance in the 2021 postseason.
Hernandez originally came up with the Astros before being traded to the Marlins, and then later, the Dodgers. He developed a reputation with the Dodgers for being a great defensive player at a number of positions and playing well in the post-season. Boston signed him to a two-year deal to capitalize on his defensive versatility.
He started the season slow, and played a variety of positions early on. As the season wore on though, he settled into the leadoff slot in the batting order and became the primary center fielder. Hernandez was one of the best defensive center fielders in the game and would end up winning the Fielding Bible award for utility players. He was a year too early to win the new Gold Glove for utility players.
His hitting number were also impressive. In 134 games, Hernandez hit .250/.337/.449. He contributed 35 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs. Hernandez notched 127 hits, scored 84 runs and drove in 60 runs.
It was the postseason where Hernandez really shined. He tied a team record with five home runs in a single postseason among his 20 hits. He drove in nine runs, including the ALDS clinching run. He had four doubles, a triple and scored eight runs. Overall, it was an extremely impressive first season for Hernandez.
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