Long Beach Coast hurler Julien Hernandez departs to pursue Major League dream

Right-handed pitcher Julien Hernandez has entered a new chapter in his baseball career. After five years in the NCAA and one-and-a-half in an independent minor league, Hernandez is moving on to play in a Major League farm system. 

It’s the night after his first team win as a member of the Visalia Rawhide and Hernandez, still getting acclimated to a new team in a Major League-affiliated league, is concerned with spin rate. 

Not the advanced baseball metric that measures a ball’s revolutions per minute — but the new laundry machine he has. 

With many changes happening, and many more looming, Hernandez describes his last seven days as “pretty wild.” 

On June 23, the Arizona Diamondbacks purchased Hernandez’s contract from the Long Beach Coast, marking the first time a Coast player was sent to play in a Major League Baseball (MLB) farm system. 

“If this last week has taught me anything, craziness will happen, I can’t necessarily expect it, but I can only make the most of what’s in front of me today,” he said. “Be grateful for where you’re at, be thankful for those who helped you get there and then give it everything you have. It’s really all you can do in this game. The game will humble you, but the game will be honest with you, and giving it everything you can is all you can really do.” 

The right-hander from the San Francisco Bay Area has been dominant as a relief pitcher for the Coast this year. In 13 relief outings, Hernandez posted a 0.70 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) and 28 strikeouts over 18.2 innings pitched. 

The path didn’t come easy — nor was it traditional. Hernandez didn’t attend a baseball powerhouse, nor was he drafted as a collegiate player. Even transferring to a Division I school didn’t result in more attention from Major League scouts. Despite that, Hernandez defied the odds and made a name for himself. 

Humble Beginnings

Located in Walla Walla, Washington, Whitman College is one of nine athletic programs in NCAA Division III’s Northwest Conference. In the past 73 years, Whitman baseball has won the conference just once and finished in the top three on five occasions. 

Before Hernandez, the school has seen seven players suit up for a Major League affiliate since 1931. 

“I know coming to Whitman, that was going to be the best fit for me academically and athletically, because the coaches were building something special, Coach [Brian Kitamura] is building something special,” Hernandez said. “And I think when I committed it, it was like, ‘Let’s see where it goes with baseball.’”

In 2024, Hernandez led the Whitman Blues to the Northwest Conference Tournament as a No. 1 seed while earning conference Pitcher of the Year honors and his third consecutive first-team all-conference spot. It was one of the best pitching campaigns in the school’s history, as he set the single-season school record for wins and strikeouts in addition to throwing the seventh-lowest ERA and 13th-lowest opponent batting average. 

After a decorated career at Whitman, Hernandez had an extra year of eligibility due to the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020. That’s when he enrolled at the University of Oregon to extend his career as a student-athlete. 

As an environmental studies and biology undergraduate major, Hernandez earned a Master’s of Public Administration at Oregon. The academic experience and athletic program played a major role in school choice, he said. 

“I wanted a small program where I could work directly with professors and do research, and I was able to do all that stuff at Oregon from an academic perspective about the experiences and skills I was able to develop,” Hernandez said. “And then I wanted to go to a program that would win.” 

Hernandez’s studies demanded much of his time, as he conducted research in science labs, collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on synthetic cell biology research and worked for the Lane County government. 

“I think those experiences taught me how to be a learner, how to develop skills I can translate not just to the baseball field, but into life,” he said. “I used the academics as a way for human development that I can then apply in the baseball sense.” 

For now, Hernandez is laser-focused on being the best baseball player possible. While his two degrees may not be in direct use, Hernandez applies the experience he gained from that pursuit to his journey as a ballplayer. 

“We’re all told at some point that we can’t play the kids’ game anymore, so [I want to] play baseball for as long as I can,” Hernandez said. “But without the baseball side, my whole goal with my academics is to open up as many doors as possible. I have so many different options, connections, incredible mentors and people who would help me do really whatever I want.”

Hernandez’s time on the mound in Eugene wasn’t as fruitful, as he only pitched 10 innings in eight games for the Ducks, allowing a 7.20 ERA. Despite his struggles on the mound, an opportunity to play professionally in the Pioneer League with the Missoula PaddleHeads emerged in the summer of 2025. 

A Standout Start with the Coast

Hernandez’s first year in the Pioneer League resulted in a 6.14 ERA and 2.25 WHIP between the PaddleHeads and the Idaho Falls Chukars. The wear-and-tear of competitive pitching had clearly been taking its toll. 

“At the end of the year with the Chukars, I was really kind of starting to find my stride,” Hernandez said. “It was hard being at the end of the year, I was pitching a lot and my body was pretty worn down, so I think coming into the offseason, it was just regained back to full health.” 

Prioritizing recovery, fine-tuning his pitch arsenal and a fresh start with a new team changed everything for the 24-year-old. Hernandez was selected to be on the Coast’s inaugural roster in April 2026. 

With the die-hard Long Beach fanbase, superstar ownership headlined by rapper Warren G and a coaching staff with a combined 38 years of MLB playing experience, the Coast had a lot of pressure to compete going into its inaugural season. 

As a member of the Coast, Hernandez put together a statistical resume that argued his spot as the best reliever in the league.

Out of the 44 pitchers in the Pioneer League who have only made relief appearances, Hernandez ranks first in walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings. With a 0.696 WHIP, Hernandez stands alone as no other reliever as of June 30 is posting a sub-one WHIP. 

While Hernandez is preventing baserunners at an elite level, part of that success stems from his ability to fling 96-mile-per-hour fastballs past the batter for strike three. Whether it was in the Northwest Conference, Big Ten or Pioneer League, the hurler has always averaged over one strikeout per inning. 

However, sending hitters back to the dugout empty-handed is no longer a primary objective for Hernandez. In years past, Hernandez focused on getting those swings and misses. Now, it’s about throwing the best pitch he can. 

“Honestly, I don’t really try to strike out guys,” Hernandez said. “What I try to do is just give my best pitch every single pitch at a time. I can’t control whether or not the hitter swings at a pitch. I can’t control whether an umpire calls strike three.”

Another factor in Hernandez’s success is the big league coaching staff. As a reliable innings-eating starter at Whitman, Hernandez had to adjust to appearing in relief. 

There was no coach more suited to aid that transition than four-time MLB All-Star closer Troy Percival, who managed the Chukars last season while Hernandez was there. Former major leaguer Bob Milacki was also on the coaching staff, giving helpful pointers as well. 

Williams has been instrumental in Hernandez’s development, he said, not only with attacking hitters but the mental aspect as well.

“I learned a little bit more about how to improve my game, whether it be something mental or something as simple as, ‘What’s the best way to go after this guy?’” Hernandez said. “I didn’t really know how to relieve before, how to warm up as a reliever before [Percival], and he and Bob Milacki really taught me last year, and then continue building off that.”

Williams described Hernandez as a sponge the way he absorbed information in every teachable moment. 

“He was one of those players where he wanted to figure things out,” Williams said. “He’s a smart, smart, smart player. He knows what he needs to do and it was just a collective group of me, [Percival] trying to hone in his talent to make him optimal.”

Upgraded and Affiliated

In the midst of a breakout season, on June 23, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Hernandez to a minor league contract. Four days later, he suited up for the team’s Single-A affiliate, the Visalia Rawhide, in a matchup against the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the climax of what was surely a whirlwind week. 

Although the Rawhide lost 5-3, Hernandez pitched the final two innings, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out five. 

“There’s obviously a lot of things that might be a little bit different between affiliate ball and indie ball, but the transition has been really smooth,” Hernandez said. “I’m really grateful for everybody that’s helped me get here.” 

Despite his short stint in Long Beach, Hernandez said he built friendships with his Coast teammates who have shown him support throughout his departure. 

“The culture we had, it’s unique, you don’t necessarily get that in all of pro ball so I’ve stayed in contact with a lot of those guys,” Hernandez said. “I will stay in contact with them probably for the rest of my life.”

As far as succeeding with the Diamondbacks organization, Hernandez maintains his approach of improving every single day and focusing on what he can control. Williams believes his former pitcher can reach greater heights in his career.

“I’ve seen a couple of his games, I looked at his box scores and he’s doing pretty well, so hopefully he can keep that trend going, and hopefully by the end of the year, he is in Double-A,” Williams said. “That’s my realistic goal for him. I don’t know what his is, but mine’s is probably him reaching Double-A and facing some better hitters and hopefully getting an opportunity.” 

As Hernandez leaves the Coast team at the top of the standings, he said he will miss playing in Long Beach, as the organization puts its players in a position to succeed. 

“I think the setup there with the support we had from operations, broadcasters, support staff, trainers, coaching staff, it was incredible,” Hernandez said. “There’s so many people in this organization that are incredibly dedicated and caring and compassionate and really really care about the well-being of everyone, all those people I’m really grateful for, and I’m going to miss.”