The Daily Dugout Report - May 7, 2026

Wow, the first month of the season has flown by. Prospects are being promoted to higher levels, live looks are in full swing, and data is beginning to stabilize. It is a good time to be in the know on prospects. With another week of ball starting, we have you covered with everything you need to know from Tuesday’s action.

Let’s dive into the top performers from yesterday’s action.

Exit Velocity Leaders(Prospects Only)

Whiff Leaders(Prospects Only)

The Prospect Report

🚀 Standout of The Day

Ronny Hernandez, C, Boston Red Sox (A+)

Stats: 4/4 2 HR, BB

Why The Performance Matters:

Hernandez was traded to the Red Sox this offseason from the White Sox in exchange for Chris Murphy. After hitting six home runs in the DSL in 2022, Hernandez had a strong Complex League performance in 2023 before struggling in his two seasons with Single-A Kannapolis in 2024 and 2025.

Dealing with injuries this offseason, Hernandez did not make his debut in a Red Sox affiliate until yesterday, and boy, was it a debut. Hernandez reached base all five times he came to the plate, including two home runs. Considering he hit five total in 768 plate apperances in full-season ball prior to the performance on Wednesday.

In the past, Hernandez has been known for his OBP skills as he had good strike-zone recognition and took walks with ease. The power was lackluster, especially for his frame and size, and the exit velocity data was not great.

While I do not have the data on the home runs hit yesterday, it is worth noting that the game was played in Greensboro, a notorious hitters' park, and that 10 home runs were hit during yesterday’s game. Neither of Hernandez's home runs was crushed by any means, so I will work to get the data.

Fantasy Spin:

Given the history of the skill set with Hernandez, I am not jumping on him by any means. Keep an eye on him and remember the SAL is an insanely hitter-friendly league, and Greenville hitters with Hernandez's profile are not strangers to big games like this. -CC

David Shields, LHP, Kansas City Royals (A+)

Stats: 5.2 IP/3 H/1 ER/0 BB/8 K

Why The Performance Matters:

Shields was young last season, spending the season as an 18-year-old in Single-A. He pitched extremely well and flew up prospect rankings. The Royals aggressively pushed Shields to High-A this year, and he has excelled. Wednesday’s start was the deepest Shields has pitched in a game in his career, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He allowed just three hits and did not issue a walk while striking out eight batters.

The fastball sits in the low 90s, but has ticked. During his senior season, he lived more in the 88-90 range and topped around 91-92 mph. Shields is now topping out closer to 94 mph while working 90-92 mph regularly. The fastball gets solid arm-side movement and can create good riding action up in the zone from his slot.

A slider is Shields’ most secondary pitch, sitting in the low-80s. It has nice depth and long horizontal movement, and Shields has shown the ability to get whiffs against lefties and righties with the pitch. He did a great job locating it on the inner and outer halves of the plate last night.

The changeup is a third offering, but as it continues to develop, it could become a solid platoon-neutralizing pitch against right-handed batters. It sits in the 79-82 mph range with good fading action.

Fantasy Spin:

Shields has lowered his season ERA to 2.70, and he has 35 strikeouts to nine walks across 26.2 High-A innings. Given that he will spend the entire season as a 19-year-old, you have to be impressed with what the lefty has done.

We are looking at the plus command with a plus slider and decent feel for the changeup. If the fastball continues to improve, Shields is going to soar onto top 100 lists this year. The jump in bat missing this season is quite notable. -CC

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