Hernández has been known to throw a sinker (two-seam fastball), a slider (he avoided the slider early in his career because the team was concerned it might injure his arm), a changeup, and a curveball. His fastball no longer reaches the 100 mph as it did when he first broke into MLB, but he has become a much craftier and more efficient pitcher over the years. In 2016, Hernández's sinker averaged about 90–92 mph; four-seam fastball at 90–92 mph; slider at 84–86 mph; curveball at 79–81 mph; changeup at 87-88 mph; and the occasional cut fastball at 88–90 mph. The changeup was his most commonly used two-strike pitch, and had the highest whiff rate of his pitches.