Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Giants Rule 5 pick Julian Fernandez has some Aroldis Chapman velocity

By Chris Landers

With the second overall pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, the Giants selected Julian Fernandez, a 22-year-old who spent last season with the Rockies' Class A affiliate. Just what made Fernandez worthy of such a high selection? We're glad you asked:

Comparisons to the Statcast King are lofty praise, but it's far from hyperbole: Baseball America clocked Fernandez at 103 (!) with the Boise Hawks back in 2016, and the fastball looks every bit as impressive on video:

Oh, and did we mention he pairs it with a slider in the mid-90s?

Not even his hat can handle that kind of velocity:

As the saying goes, with great velocity comes great control issues, and Fernandez is no different -- he's walked 82 batters in 148 Minor League innings. But with any luck, we'll get to watch him light up radar guns in San Francisco before too long.

Teams in this article:
Up Next
What do you get when you combine a block party and a baseball league?
BarberJordan
When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to José 'Jordan' López
By Matt Monagan •
beephero
Competition, joy and a little pain: Beep Baseball is a world of freedom for blind athletes
By Eric Chesterton •
AP_702417634020
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world thanks to one man
By Michael Clair •
NYC
Where to live in New York if you've just come into $324 million
By Matt Monagan •