Enrique Hernández is back in blue after a thrilling return at the trade deadline in 2023! He’s primed to have an impact this season after agreeing to a one-year, $4 million contract last winter. In his eleven-year major league career, he has amassed a batting average of .238 and an OPS of.713. And in his recent performance, Hernández wowed the crowd, writing yet another exciting chapter in his playoff history!

He hit a single home run in the second inning of the pivotal Game 5 against the San Diego Padres, taking Yu Darvish’s 95 mph fastball far into the left-field pavilion. But what is the secret behind such stellar play?

Enrique Hernández’s power of visualizing 

As much as Enrique Hernández dedicates himself to pregame drills—shaping his swing and preparing for action in the outfield and multiple infield positions—some of his most crucial work happens in his mind. Often the night before big games, he focuses on mental preparation, visualizing his performance, and getting into the right headspace. “Whenever those doubts come in, I visualize myself having success over and over again. You get to the field the next day, and you’ve already seen the day happen. So nothing overwhelms you,” he said according to the LA Times.  

Puerto Rican third baseman, Hernandez, stepped up and into the starting lineup after Miguel Rojas worsened his left adductor injury in Game 3. But what’s really special about the 33-year-old is that he doesn’t keep his visualization techniques to himself. He often shares his insights with teammates.

Outfielder Teoscar Hernández shared an awesome moment from the game, saying, “Enrique told me before the game that we were going to be the first players with the same last name to go yard in a playoff game, and we did it!” Teoscar’s solo shot in the seventh inning added a crucial insurance run for the Dodgers. However, it can’t be denied that the star of the show was Enrique Hernández.

Hernández knows how to shine in the spotlight

The Dodgers’ successful run into their first National League Championship Series since 2021 was largely due to Enrique Hernández! He finally drove in the game-winning run in Friday night’s 2-0 triumph over the Padres with a single home run in the second inning. In Game 5 of the NL Division Series, with the season on the line, the LA Dodgers’ third baseman was up to the challenge.  

He hit a first-pitch fastball straight to the left-field pavilion in his first at-bat against San Diego starter Yu Darvish. There’s a good reason why the 33-year-old Hernández seems to have a propensity for winning big when he is in the spotlight. His 13.43 at-bats per home run rank eighth in playoff history among players with at least 150 plate appearances, an amazing statistic. It’s precisely this sort of power at pivotal times that makes him such a crucial player in the postseason.  

His at-bats per home run ratio is 29.1 during the regular season but sharply declines during the postseason. Just 14.5% of his hits during the regular season were long balls, compared to over 25% of his hits during the postseason being home runs. He is the leading active Dodger in the playoffs home run category with 14, however, not all of them have been with L.A. It’s obvious that #8 Hernández is prepared to perform when the chips are down!