Written By: Noah Douglas
Baseball is a kid’s game — and Ryan Hernandez is proving it.
Hernandez isn’t the traditional leader on the baseball field. He isn’t overly serious and doesn’t expect perfection. Instead, his upbeat personality and light hearted charisma propel him as a captain of the Lake Country DockHounds.
After acquiring another middle-of-the-order bat, the heavy-hitter quickly became more than what the DockHounds traded for. Swatting seven home runs and collecting 35 RBIs for the Cleburne Railroaders in 2023, Hernandez elevated his game to a new level.
In his first 62 games as a DockHound, the first baseman has slugged 19 home runs, 16 doubles, and 62 RBIs.
However, Hernandez doesn’t believe his success comes solely from the hard work he’s put in. Rather, he attributes it to his gleeful attitude.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that trying to maintain a positive attitude and being grateful to be out here has allowed me to perform the way I am,” Hernandez said. “The sport is already hard enough, so whenever you take it easier and remember that the game is just a game, it makes it much easier to play.”
That mindset radiates throughout the team.
“Baseball is very competitive and frustrating; I mean, we signed up to fail,” Ray Zuberer III said. “But having a guy like him at the ballpark every single day makes it so much better.”
With Hernandez’s happy-go-lucky mindset comes unique slang. No matter the situation or location, he deems others as “silly gooses.”
“That light hearted mindset brought out the ‘silly goose’ lingo, and I’ve started to see really good results on the field this year,” Hernandez said. “Everyone has a little silly goose in them, and it makes the game a little less serious and more of a kid’s game again.”
Zuberer III describes Hernandez as a man who is a carefree joy, a teammate whom anyone looks to in pressure situations, and a friend who plays baseball with pure happiness.
“He reminds me of the book ‘The Art of Not Giving A Care,’” Zuberer III said. “I come here every day thinking, ‘I’ve gotta do this, I’ve gotta do that,’ but at the end of the day, you just can’t worry about it all.
“And that’s Ryan. I’ve learned a lot from him not only about baseball but in life in general. You can’t take it all too seriously.”
As Hernandez continues his baseball journey with a joyful personality, he recognizes the impact he has on others is immense.
“I remember that other people are looking up to you,” Hernandez said. “There are kids in the stands trying to be in the same position as you, and when you remember that, it brightens your day and reminds you to take advantage of your opportunities. That has been a big key in helping me perform this season.”
With his numbers reflecting a career year, Hernandez was named to the American Association All-Star team. Entering this season, DockHounds reliever Alan Carter saw it coming.
“I met Ryan in the MLB Draft League in 2022 and he was the best hitter there, so him being an All-Star isn’t surprising whatsoever,” Carter said.
What made Hernandez the best hitter in the league that season?
“Dude, he just freaking raked,” Carter emphasized.
Now his teammate, Carter is relieved he has a prolific power bat backing him up in the late phases of the game.
“As a pitcher, when it gets to the seventh inning, you start to look at the lineup and say, ‘Ok, where is Ryan?’” Carter said.
And when Hernandez steps up to the plate during crunch time, it is often his carefree mindset that aids him in the clutch. In fact, the 6-foot-5 slugger has hit several game-tying and go-ahead home runs this season.
But what makes him special is his humility.
“He’s humble,” Zuberer III said. “He doesn’t brag and isn’t cocky. He’s always that same goofy, confident guy.”
You won’t find Hernandez gloating about the 400-foot home run he hit, and you won’t hear him talk about the three-home run game he had in Cleburne. Instead, he focuses on brightening the moods of the people around him.
“Ryan is unapologetically himself at all times,” Carter said. “He’s someone born to play this game, and having a personality like his makes everything a little lighter.”
