Nick Hernandez Bio
Nicholas Cody Hernandez is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros, and most recently signed a minor league contract with the Athletics on December 30, 2025. Hernandez made his MLB debut in 2023 after working his way through the minor leagues as a reliever. He is best known as a right-handed bullpen arm who has spent time at the Triple-A level across multiple organizations.
Early Life and Background
Nicholas Cody Hernandez was born on December 30, 1994, in Missouri City, Texas. He grew up in the Houston metropolitan area and attended Dulles High School in nearby Sugar Land, Texas. During his high school years, Hernandez developed as a pitcher and drew attention from college scouts for his work out of the bullpen.
After graduating from Dulles High School, Hernandez played college baseball for two seasons at Alvin Community College. He then transferred to the University of Houston for the 2016 season, where he served as the closer for the Houston Cougars. His experience closing college games helped establish him as a relief-pitching prospect heading into the MLB Draft.
Path to Baseball
Hernandez entered professional baseball when the Houston Astros selected him in the eighth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, with the 247th overall pick. He began his pro career that summer in the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats and the Single-A Quad Cities River Bandits, posting a 1.73 ERA across 19 appearances and immediately showing the control that would define his early minor league career.
He continued to move through the Astros system, splitting the 2017 season between High-A Buies Creek and Double-A Corpus Christi and recording a combined 3.38 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 10 saves in 58 and two-thirds innings. That performance cemented his identity as a late-inning relief prospect and laid the groundwork for his first taste of Triple-A baseball in later years.
Nick Hernandez Career
Early Career (2016–2022)
Hernandez spent his first several professional seasons entirely within the Houston Astros organization. After his productive 2017 campaign at High-A and Double-A, he underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the 2018 season and missed the entire year while recovering. He returned in 2019 and pitched for Corpus Christi and the High-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, posting a combined 4.02 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 23 outings.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Hernandez did not appear in any games that year. He came back strong in 2021 with Corpus Christi, recording a 1.67 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 6 saves in 54 innings across 32 games, and reached Triple-A for the first time. In 2022, he spent the full year with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, going 5-5 with a 3.92 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 59 and two-thirds innings. Following that season, Hernandez elected free agency on November 10, 2022.
San Diego Padres Era (2023)
On February 3, 2023, Hernandez signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres and opened the year with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. He pitched well enough in the Padres system to earn a major league opportunity late in the season. On September 11, 2023, the Padres selected Hernandez to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the majors for the first time, and he made his MLB debut the following day.
In two appearances for San Diego, Hernandez allowed four runs on three hits with five strikeouts across three innings. After the season, on November 6, he was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Triple-A El Paso, and he elected free agency the same day. He re-signed with the Padres on a minor league contract on January 26, 2024, and went on to record a 1.90 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 23 and two-thirds innings in 17 games at Triple-A El Paso.
Houston Astros Era (2024–2025)
On June 4, 2024, the Padres traded Hernandez back to the Houston Astros in exchange for cash considerations, and the Astros selected his contract the next day to add him to their active roster. In five appearances for Houston that year, he posted a 7.88 ERA with 10 strikeouts over eight innings of work, as he adjusted to a new bullpen environment.
Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2025 season before returning to the majors. In 10 appearances for the Astros, he recorded a 5.06 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 10 and two-thirds innings. On September 27, 2025, Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Astros, and he elected free agency after clearing waivers on September 30, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hernandez has built his career as a reliever whose value comes from missing bats and limiting damage in short stints. Across his minor league stops he has consistently generated strikeouts at a strong rate, including 70 strikeouts in 2017, 68 in 2021, and 77 in 2022. His role has typically been late-inning work, including save opportunities in the Astros system, and he has shown the ability to bounce back from major setbacks such as Tommy John surgery.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hernandez’s signature milestone came on September 12, 2023, when he made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres after years of grinding through the minor leagues. He later returned to the Astros organization that originally drafted him, traded back to Houston in 2024 and reaching the majors again that summer. He cleared waivers and elected free agency in late September 2025 before signing with the Athletics on his December 30, 2025 birthday.
Nick Hernandez Career Wins
Hernandez has not registered a decision at the MLB level, going 0-0 through the 2025 season. He has piled up saves and wins in the minor leagues, including double-digit save totals in 2017 and 2021, and a 5-5 record at Triple-A Sugar Land in 2022. His professional win totals reflect the bullpen role he has filled throughout his career.
Minor League Highlights
Across the Astros minor league system, Hernandez recorded 10 saves in 2017 and 6 saves in 2021, while posting a 5-5 record with a 3.92 ERA at Triple-A Sugar Land in 2022. In 17 Triple-A appearances with El Paso in 2024, he posted a 1.90 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 23 and two-thirds innings, re-establishing himself as a reliable relief option.
Other Wins and Performances
Hernandez’s 1.73 ERA across 19 appearances in his first pro season split between Low-A Tri-City and Single-A Quad Cities remains one of the strongest starts of his career. His 1.67 ERA across 32 games with Double-A Corpus Christi in 2021 reinforced his standing as a high-leverage arm in the Astros system.
Nick Hernandez Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Public records about Nicholas Cody Hernandez’s parents and immediate family are limited, and he has not publicly shared details about a baseball lineage. He grew up in Missouri City, Texas, and developed his pitching in the Houston area.
Personal Life
Information about Hernandez’s marital status, spouse, and children has not been publicly confirmed. He was born on December 30, 1994, and is an American national who came of age in the Houston metropolitan area.
2025 Season Performance
Hernandez opened the 2025 season at Triple-A Sugar Land under the Houston Astros organization, working to return to the major league club. He made 10 appearances for the Astros and logged a 5.06 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 10 and two-thirds innings, continuing in his familiar relief role out of the bullpen.
His 2025 big-league window closed when the Astros designated him for assignment on September 27, and he elected free agency after clearing waivers on September 30, 2025. On December 30, 2025, Hernandez signed a minor league contract with the Athletics, setting the stage for an opportunity in a new organization.
With his recent move to the Athletics system, Hernandez enters the next chapter of his career looking to refine his bullpen arsenal and earn another major league call-up. His track record of strikeouts, multi-level saves, and bullpen experience makes him a depth option for an organization seeking late-inning help.