PHOENIX — In 2014, at age 16, José Herrera said goodbye to his parents and joined the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. A native of San Carlos, Venezuela, in the state of Cojedes, Herrera signed a $1.06 million bonus as an undrafted free agent.
Let’s move ahead 10 years later…
The 27-year-old catcher was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Saturday, June 22, after Gabriel Moreno went on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left thumb.
Since returning to the big club, Herrera has made a significant impact at the plate. In 10 games, he has 19 at-bats with 7 hits, including a double, driving in 4 runs and scoring 3 times.
He currently owns a .368 batting average with a .455 on-base percentage and an impressive .876 OPS, second highest on the team behind Ketel Marte (.877).
Herrera had a standout performance on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a walk, one RBI, and two runs scored in the Diamondbacks’ 12-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Undervalued?
Current Oakland Athletics Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane used common statistics in the movie “Moneyball” to identify undervalued players.