April 3: Cesar Hernandez Leads it Off

The Main Event

April 3, 2017 – Cesar Hernandez hit a leadoff home run in his first plate appearance of the season, helping the Phillies to a 4-3 Opening Day win in Cincinnati.

Cesar Hernandez carved out a solid and, in many ways, underappreciated major league career, with his most impactful years coming as the Philadelphia Phillies’ primary second baseman from 2015 through 2019. Originally signed by the Phillies as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2006, Hernandez worked his way through the minor leagues as a contact-oriented hitter with speed and defensive versatility. He made his major league debut in 2013, appearing in 34 games and hitting .289, immediately flashing the ability to get on base and put the ball in play.

Hernandez gradually transitioned into an everyday role, and by 2015 he had taken over as the Phillies’ regular second baseman. That season, he hit .272 with a .339 on-base percentage while stealing 19 bases. His real breakout came in 2016, when he led the National League with 11 triples while batting .294 and posting a .371 OBP. That ability to consistently reach base became his calling card. From 2015 to 2019, Hernandez recorded an on-base percentage of .352, a strong mark on several rebuilding Phillies teams that often struggled offensively.

One of the more notable moments early in his career came on April 3, 2017, when Hernandez led off Opening Day with a home run against the Cincinnati Reds. It set the tone for a season in which he hit .294 and stole 15 bases, continuing to establish himself as a reliable table-setter at the top of the lineup. He followed that up with arguably his best all-around season in 2018, hitting .253 but posted a .356 OBP, scored 91 runs, stole 19 bases, and played steady defense at second base.

Across his Phillies tenure, Hernandez appeared in 832 games, collecting 807 hits, batting .277/.352/.381/.733 with OBP, 46 home runs, and 80 stolen bases. While not a power hitter, he developed some pop later in his career, hitting a career-high 15 home runs in 2018 and 14 more in 2019. Defensively, he was steady if not spectacular, providing reliability up the middle during a period when the Phillies were transitioning between eras.

After the 2019 season, the Phillies declined his club option, making Hernandez a free agent. He went on to play for Cleveland, Chicago (AL), and Washington, even winning a Gold Glove with Cleveland in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. That award was somewhat surprising to many, as Hernandez had not previously been viewed as an elite defender, but it reflected his strong positioning and consistency.

The question of whether Hernandez was underrated is an interesting one. In many respects, he was. He rarely received national attention, in part because he played on rebuilding teams that did not contend. His skill set—high on-base percentage, moderate speed, low strikeout rate—tended to be less flashy than power hitters or defensive standouts. However, those are exactly the types of players who quietly contribute to winning baseball. Hernandez consistently worked deep counts, drew walks, and set the table for hitters behind him.

Ultimately, Hernandez represents the type of player who can be easy to undervalue but difficult to replace. For several years, he was one of the Phillies’ most consistent performers, providing stability at the top of the lineup during a transitional era. While he may not be remembered as a star, his steady production and durability made him an important piece of the franchise’s history in the 2010s.