On the Farm: Hernandez, Hogue, Kvasnicka

Leading up to the 2013 season, cchooks.com spotlights select farmhands in the Astros system. Today, we feature IF Enrique Hernandez, OF Grant Hogue and C/OF Mike Kvasnicka.

Enrique Hernandez
Infielder
Height:  5-11
Weight:  192
Born:  8/24/91 in San Juan, PR
Bats/Throws:  R/R
Resides:  Toa Baja, PR

Acquired:  Selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 2009 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 -  Hit .270 with six home runs and 52 RBIs in 123 games between Advanced-A Lancaster and Corpus Christi.  Was the second-toughest hitter in the California League to strikeout, going down on strikes once every 9.56 plate appearances.  Led league second basemen in double plays turned (71).  Played 99 games at second base and seven in the outfield.  Hit .293 versus southpaws and .269 against right-handers.  Hit in 17 straight home games from April 14-May 22 at .338 (22-for-65).  Reached base in 21 consecutive games from June 2-July 15, hitting .384 (33-for-86) with a .432 OBP.  In June, batted .330 (30-for-91) with 15 RBIs.  Promoted to Corpus Christi August 10 and went 0-for-4 in debut.  Collected first Double-A hit August 12 vs. Springfield.  Went 1-for-13 (.077) against left-handed pitching and 19-for-68 (.279) against right-handers.  Played all 23 of his games for the Hooks at second base.

2011 - Raised average from .233 to .276 June 14-24, going 14-for-28 (.500) over eight games.  Batted .291 against LHP and .231 vs. RHP.  Hit .261 in the season's first half, compared to .229 in the second.  Played 12 games at second base, four at third base, three at shortstop, 32 in left field and 11 as the DH.

2010 -  Missed time from April 16-May 14 with a sprained ankle.  Posted a 13-game hitting streak from July 1-16, batting .322 (19-for-59).  Reached base in 18 straight contests from June 24-July 16, hitting .286 (22-for-77) with a .353 OBP.  Posted back-to-back three hit games July 18-19 vs. Brooklyn.  For the month of July, hit .330 (38-for-115) with 18 RBI.  August 18 at Connecticut, went 4-for-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI.

2009 - Ranked among league leaders in batting average (.295, 9th), at-bats (207, 2nd), hits (61, 3rd) and runs (35, 4th).  Played in 31 games at second base, one at third base and 25 at shortstop.

Career stat note:  In his career, has played 217 games at second base, five at third base, 28 at shortstop, 36 in left field and three in right field.

Grant Hogue
Outfielder
Height:  6-0
Weight:  188
Born:  6/26/86 in Hattiesburg, MS
Bats/Throws:  S/R
Resides:  Hattiesburg, MS

School:  Mississippi State University.  As a senior, led the Bulldogs and ranked third in the Southeastern Conference with 29 stolen bases, the second-highest single-season total at MSU.  Stole 54 bases in two seasons, tying for fourth among the school's all-time stolen base leaders.

Acquired:  Selected by the Astros in the 35th round of the 2009 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Hit in first 11 games of the season in which he had an at-bat, going 22-for-36 (.611) with 12 runs and 5 RBIs.  June 30 vs. Rancho Cucamonga, went 4-for-4 with a triple and 3 runs.  Drove in season-high 3 runs August 20 vs. Rancho Cucamonga.  Hit .471 against left-handed pitching and .327 against right-handers.  Batted .409 in 28 home games and .275 in 15 road games.  Hit .618 (21-for-34) in June, .217 (18-for-83) in July and .480 (12-for-25) in August.  Played 25 games in left field, five in centerfield and 11 in right field.

2011 - Ranked fourth in the Astros system with 28 stolen bases.  Paced Lancaster in that category and in sacrifice bunts (10).  Tied for the team lead in getting hit by the pitch (11) while ranking third on the club in games, at-bats, runs and hits.  Also finished fourth in doubles and total bases (130).  Named the JetHawks' defensive player of the month in May, posted a .972 fielding percentage for the year playing right (76 games), center (22) and left (7).  Led Lancaster and placed fifth in the league with 15 outfield assists.  Hit .360 in May with 11 walks, 6 doubles and 10 RBIs in 21 games.  Includes a 10-game hitting streak from May 4-15 during which he hit .419 (13x31) with nine walks, three doubles and five RBIs.

2010 - Swiped 29 bases for the Legends, ranking fourth among Houston farmhands.  Led Lexington in sacrifice bunts (9) and hit-by-pitches (18).  Hit safely in 10 consecutive games from April 22 to May 1, recording a .375 average (12x32).  Fashioned a 12-game hitting streak July 27 to August 8, going 16-for-48 (.333).  Turned in a .972 fielding percentage over 116 games in center field, notching nine assists and eight errors in 290 total chances.

2009 - Finished second only to Jose Altuve (21) for Greeneville's team lead in stolen bases.  Led the team in both sacrifice bunts (6) and HBPs (7).

Career stat note:  Is three times as likely to be hit by a pitch (36) than to ground into a double play (11).

Mike Kvasnicka
Catcher/Outfield
Height:  6-2
Weight:  208
Born:  12/7/88 in St. Louis Park, MN
Bats/Throws:  S/R
Resides:  Lakeville, MN

School:  University of Minnesota.  Hit .355 and posted a 1.034 OPS as a junior in 2010, cracking eight home runs and 50 RBIs to lead the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten Conference Championship and the NCAA Regionals for a second consecutive year.  Reached base in 40 straight contests to end the season and in 61 of 62 games played on the year.  A Second Team All-Big 10 selection, ranked 33rd in the nation in walks (46) and 36th in doubles (25).  Hit .318 with 53 doubles, 71 walks, 22 HRs and 140 RBIs in 175 games (3 seasons).

Acquired:  Selected by the Astros in the first round (supplemental, 33rd overall pick) of the 2010 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Hit in 16 out of 18 games from April 30-May 25, going 20-for-72 (.278).  Named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for July 16-23 after he hit .400 (12-for-30) with five HRs and 18 RBIs.  July 22 at Greeneville went 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs.  Threw out 15 of 42 (36 percent) of runners who tried to steal against him.  Hit .294 with 10 HRs and 35 RBIs in 153 when playing right field and .192 with two HRs and eight RBIs in 104 when catching.  Played 38 games in right field and caught 36 games.

2011 - Participated in Houston's minor league minicamp, transitioning from third base to catcher.  A South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star, led the Legends in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, RBIs and total bases (178).  Tied for the team lead in triples and ranked second in runs and walks.  Reached base in 21 consecutive games April 21 to May 14, batting .346 with a .418 OBP.  Torrid during a four-game span May 10-13, going 10-for-17 with four RBIs.  Had four hits and three RBIs April 10 vs. Charleston; three hits and four  RBIs May 25 vs. Rome.  Strung together a 14-game road hitting streak July 20-August 16, batting .370 with 20 hits and seven RBIs.  Streak tied for the fourth-longest in the SAL.  Batted .283 from the right side of the plate with three HRs and 18 RBIs in 145 at-bats.  Posted a .769 OPS as a right-handed hitter (.665 as a lefty).  Played 116 games at third base and one at first base.

2010 - Hit a home run in his first professional at-bat, June 18 vs. Connecticut, to help the ValleyCats edge the Tigers 4-3 on Opening Night.  Hit safely in nine straight games July 18-28, batting .425 (17x40) with four doubles, a triple, two HRs and 11 RBIs.  Went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs as the DH in Tri-City's clinching win over Brooklyn (5-1 final, Game 2, September 14) in the New York-Penn League championship series.  Split time defensively in right field (30 games), third base (25) and behind the plate (5).  A three-sport star at Lakeville North High School, helped the Panthers win state championships in baseball and hockey while earning all-conference honors in football.  Tabbed one of the top 300 high school players in the nation by Baseball America.

Career stat note:  Has struck out in 22 percent of career at-bats.