American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report name Lake Country DockHounds first baseman Ryan Hernandez as the 2024 American Association Rookie of the Year.  

DockHounds 1B Ryan Hernandez Named Top Rookie

On Monday, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report named Lake Country DockHounds infielder Ryan Hernandez as American Association Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season. Hernandez had an impressive campaign, leading he league in home runs and finished second in RBI.

Hernandez started the season swinging a hot bat, hitting .304 through May. He homered four times and drove in 13 in 20 games. He had nine multiple-hit games during the month and finished the month on a five-game hitting streak, recording two-hits in four of those games.

June saw the slugger step up his game, as Hernandez hit .344 with six homers, 18 runs scored, and 25 RBI in 25 games. He posted a gaudy .424 on-base percentage and a .615 slugging percentage. The first baseman had a four-hit game against Kane County on June 2, then had three-hits against Lincoln a day later. He had eight multi-hit games in June, adding another four-hit game on June 26 against Milwaukee.

The batting average slid in July (.289) but the power numbers surged, as Hernandez clubbed 11 homers and drove in 33. He set the tone early on July 3, when he homered three times and drove in eight in a 12-4 victory against Cleburne. A night later, Hernandez homered twice and drove in three to help him earn Player of the Week honors. The slugger had nine multi-hit games, including three three-hit performances.

The batting average hit a low in August as Hernandez hit just .253 in 19 games. Injuries led to a brief stint on the disabled list, but he still homered eight times and drove in 20. He had back-to-back two homer nights on August 6-7 against Sioux Falls and homered in all three games of the series. He homered in back-to-back games against the Gary SouthShore RailCats on August 21-22, but went homerless over the remaining 10 games of the season.

For the season, Hernandez appeared in 90 games, hitting .295. He led the league with 29 homers and finished second with 92 RBI.

Also Considered

Milwaukee Milkmen right-hander Sebastian Rodriguez finished second in the voting. Rodriguez finished 11-4, posting a 3.71 ERA in 17 starts and four relief appearances. He won his last four starts of the season, finishing tied for second in victories.

Lincoln Saltdogs infielder Alex Baeza finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. Baeza hit .284 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. He scored 48 runs, with 19 doubles and three triples. He finished with a .373 on-base percentage.

Previous American Association Rookies of the Year

2023 – Jordan Barth, Sioux Falls Canaries
2022 – Jack Fox, Kane County Cougars
2021 – Morgan McCullough, Kansas City Monarchs
2020 – Peyton Gray, Milwaukee Milkmen
2019 – Mike Hart, Sioux Falls Canaries
2018 – Justin Vernia, Sioux City Explorers

By Robert Pannier