Ramon Hernandez is happy to be with the Padres.

Players most similar to: Damian Miller, Jody Davis.
Resume: AL All-Star (2003).

Scouting report (from STATS, Inc.)
2004 season: The Padres have to be pleased with the November 2003 trade that brought them Ramon Hernandez and Terrence Long from the Athletics. In return for Mark Kotsay, they received their best all-around catcher since Terry Kennedy. Hernandez followed up his breakthrough 2003 season with another strong performance in ‘04, showing the previous year’s power outburst was no fluke. An especially sweet bonus was that he was an RBI machine against the rival Dodgers, driving in 15 runs in 16 games. He missed a month of the season with a sprained left knee suffered in a collision at the plate, but showed no ill effects after his return. This was the first year since he became a starter in 2000 that Hernandez did not play at least 135 games.

Hitting: Hernandez has a good eye for balls and strikes and swings at the first pitch he can drive. He hits the ball from the right-field power alley to the left-field line, with all of his homers traveling to center or left. A good contact hitter capable of hitting behind the runner, he’s also an excellent bunter. This year, he showed marked improvement in his walk and strikeout rates, so there’s still some potential for an additional increase in his power numbers.

Baserunning and defense: Easy going but in control behind the plate, his pitchers trust Hernandez’ judgment and almost never shake him off. His glovework is excellent, buying extra strikes with his framing, and only a very small percentage of the balls in the dirt get by him. He has a strong arm with a quick release and is stalwart when blocking the plate.

2005 outlook: The Padres have several young catchers on the way, but for the immediate future, Hernandez is their full-time starter. Catchers with his offensive and defensive skills are rare, so San Diego may opt to keep him beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of this season.