Ronny Henriquez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #23 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: When Matt Wisler became a Twin, they looked at his ability to command his plus slider and asked him to start thinking about his slider as his primary pitch. Henriquez is the next generation of this, as he's a short reliever who throws a slider and changeup, but rarely mixes in a fastball. Acquired along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Mitch Garver, Henriquez made his MLB debut late in the 2022 season with three brief appearances after a somewhat rocky Triple-A season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez may touch 97 mph and sit 94 with a relatively flat and lively average fastball, but batters can go an entire at-bat without ever seeing it. In his MLB debut, he threw three straight sliders to start off his first batter. Two batters later, he did the same thing again. He will double or triple-up on his above-average slider or above-average changeup, pop an average fastball at the top of the strike zone, then go back to working away from hitters with his best pitches with average control overall.
  
  The Future: Henriquez had a rough 2022 season, but the pieces are there to be a useful MLB reliever, although he is someone prone to giving up big hits if he misses his spots. He'll compete for a spot in the Twins bullpen in 2023 as a pitcher with two remaining options.
  
  Scouting Grades:
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #29 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Signed as a 17-year-old in 2017, Henriquez had advanced to Low-A through 2019, then saw action in 2020 at instructional league due to the cancellation of the minor league season in the wake of the pandemic. He made it to Double-A in 2021 but ran into serious trouble keeping the ball in the park. Nonetheless, he was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez’s biggest attribute is an electric fastball that sits around 94 mph and has touched up to 97. The pitch plays up thanks to excellent spin rates and horizontal break coupled with a near-elite vertical approach angle. He complements the fastball with a mid-80s slider and a high-80s changeup. Each of his offspeed pitches has its moments, but both need more consistency. The Rangers have confidence that he’ll make the necessary improvements because of the innate way he uses his hand to manipulate the baseball. His changeup in particular needs to come along so he has a better chance against lefties.
  
  The Future: Henriquez will likely head back to Double-A in 2022. If he can improve his slider and changeup, he could fit in the back of the rotation. If only one comes along, he could be a multi-inning reliever.
  
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #15 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: A converted outfielder who signed for just $10,000, Henriquez had a sterling debut in the Dominican Summer League before hitting a few bumps in an aggressive assignment to low Class A Hickory in 2019. His only 2020 action came during instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez might not look the part at 5-foot-10, but the Little Engine That Could stands out as a premium strike-thrower with the best delivery in the system. His fastball sits in the mid- 90s, but it tends to be flat and plays down from its raw velocity, so he has worked to try to get more vertical movement to his heater. Henriquez's real weapons are his plus slider and a changeup that has flashed plus. He has a knack for controlling his emotions and staying calm when trouble arises.
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez will likely never be a 200-inning starting pitcher but he may be able to cover 150-180 innings. The biggest test will be to see if his stuff, namely his fastball, is good enough once he gets to Double-A.
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #10 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Rangers saw Henriquez pitch as an amateur at a tryout in the Tricky League. He threw 91 mph and they ended up signing him for $10,000, which quickly proved a bargain when his velocity spiked and he dominated the Dominican Summer League. The Rangers pushed him in 2019 to low Class A Hickory, where he had a solid year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez is a power arm who pitches off a fastball that's mostly 93-96 mph and can crank up to 98. He started to get more swinging strikes off it in the second half when he elevated the pitch more often. He fills the zone and has the ability to generate swing-and-miss with both his slider and changeup. His slider has above-average potential and his changeup can miss bats, too, though it would benefit from more separation off his fastball
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez has a chance to develop into a mid-rotation starter. He's headed to high Class A Down East in 2020.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: When Matt Wisler became a Twin, they looked at his ability to command his plus slider and asked him to start thinking about his slider as his primary pitch. Henriquez is the next generation of this, as he's a short reliever who throws a slider and changeup, but rarely mixes in a fastball. Acquired along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Mitch Garver, Henriquez made his MLB debut late in the 2022 season with three brief appearances after a somewhat rocky Triple-A season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez may touch 97 mph and sit 94 with a relatively flat and lively average fastball, but batters can go an entire at-bat without ever seeing it. In his MLB debut, he threw three straight sliders to start off his first batter. Two batters later, he did the same thing again. He will double or triple-up on his above-average slider or above-average changeup, pop an average fastball at the top of the strike zone, then go back to working away from hitters with his best pitches with average control overall.
  
  The Future: Henriquez had a rough 2022 season, but the pieces are there to be a useful MLB reliever, although he is someone prone to giving up big hits if he misses his spots. He'll compete for a spot in the Twins bullpen in 2023 as a pitcher with two remaining options.
  
  Scouting Grades:
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: When Matt Wisler became a Twin, they looked at his ability to command his plus slider and asked him to start thinking about his slider as his primary pitch. Henriquez is the next generation of this, as he's a short reliever who throws a slider and changeup, but rarely mixes in a fastball. Acquired along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Mitch Garver, Henriquez made his MLB debut late in the 2022 season with three brief appearances after a somewhat rocky Triple-A season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez may touch 97 mph and sit 94 with a relatively flat and lively average fastball, but batters can go an entire at-bat without ever seeing it. In his MLB debut, he threw three straight sliders to start off his first batter. Two batters later, he did the same thing again. He will double or triple-up on his above-average slider or above-average changeup, pop an average fastball at the top of the strike zone, then go back to working away from hitters with his best pitches with average control overall.
  
  The Future: Henriquez had a rough 2022 season, but the pieces are there to be a useful MLB reliever, although he is someone prone to giving up big hits if he misses his spots. He'll compete for a spot in the Twins bullpen in 2023 as a pitcher with two remaining options.
  
  Scouting Grades:
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Signed as a 17-year-old in 2017, Henriquez had advanced to Low-A through 2019, then saw action in 2020 at instructional league due to the cancellation of the minor league season in the wake of the pandemic. He made it to Double-A in 2021 but ran into serious trouble keeping the ball in the park. Nonetheless, he was added to the Rangers&#39 40-man roster after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez&#39s biggest attribute is an electric fastball that sits around 94 mph and has touched up to 97. The pitch plays up thanks to excellent spin rates and horizontal break coupled with a near-elite vertical approach angle. He complements the fastball with a mid-80s slider and a high-80s changeup. Each of his offspeed pitches has its moments, but both need more consistency. The Rangers have confidence that he&#39ll make the necessary improvements because of the innate way he uses his hand to manipulate the baseball. His changeup in particular needs to come along so he has a better chance against lefties.
  
  The Future: Henriquez will likely head back to Double-A in 2022. If he can improve his slider and changeup, he could fit in the back of the rotation. If only one comes along, he could be a multi-inning reliever.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Signed as a 17-year-old in 2017, Henriquez had advanced to Low-A through 2019, then saw action in 2020 at instructional league due to the cancellation of the minor league season in the wake of the pandemic. He made it to Double-A in 2021 but ran into serious trouble keeping the ball in the park. Nonetheless, he was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Henriquez’s biggest attribute is an electric fastball that sits around 94 mph and has touched up to 97. The pitch plays up thanks to excellent spin rates and horizontal break coupled with a near-elite vertical approach angle. He complements the fastball with a mid-80s slider and a high-80s changeup. Each of his offspeed pitches has its moments, but both need more consistency. The Rangers have confidence that he’ll make the necessary improvements because of the innate way he uses his hand to manipulate the baseball. His changeup in particular needs to come along so he has a better chance against lefties.
  
  The Future: Henriquez will likely head back to Double-A in 2022. If he can improve his slider and changeup, he could fit in the back of the rotation. If only one comes along, he could be a multi-inning reliever.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A converted outfielder who signed for just $10,000, Henriquez had a sterling debut in the Dominican Summer League before hitting a few bumps in an aggressive assignment to low Class A Hickory in 2019. His only 2020 action came during instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez might not look the part at 5-foot-10, but the Little Engine That Could stands out as a premium strike-thrower with the best delivery in the system. His fastball sits in the mid- 90s, but it tends to be flat and plays down from its raw velocity, so he has worked to try to get more vertical movement to his heater. Henriquez's real weapons are his plus slider and a changeup that has flashed plus. He has a knack for controlling his emotions and staying calm when trouble arises.
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez will likely never be a 200-inning starting pitcher but he may be able to cover 150-180 innings. The biggest test will be to see if his stuff, namely his fastball, is good enough once he gets to Double-A.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A converted outfielder who signed for just $10,000, Henriquez had a sterling debut in the Dominican Summer League before hitting a few bumps in an aggressive assignment to low Class A Hickory in 2019. His only 2020 action came during instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez might not look the part at 5-foot-10, but the Little Engine That Could stands out as a premium strike-thrower with the best delivery in the system. His fastball sits in the mid- 90s, but it tends to be flat and plays down from its raw velocity, so he has worked to try to get more vertical movement to his heater. Henriquez's real weapons are his plus slider and a changeup that has flashed plus. He has a knack for controlling his emotions and staying calm when trouble arises.
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez will likely never be a 200-inning starting pitcher but he may be able to cover 150-180 innings. The biggest test will be to see if his stuff, namely his fastball, is good enough once he gets to Double-A.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A converted outfielder who signed for just $10,000, Henriquez had a sterling debut in the Dominican Summer League before hitting a few bumps in an aggressive assignment to low Class A Hickory in 2019. His only 2020 action came during instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez might not look the part at 5-foot-10, but the Little Engine That Could stands out as a premium strike-thrower with the best delivery in the system. His fastball sits in the mid- 90s, but it tends to be flat and plays down from its raw velocity, so he has worked to try to get more vertical movement to his heater. Henriquez's real weapons are his plus slider and a changeup that has flashed plus. He has a knack for controlling his emotions and staying calm when trouble arises.
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez will likely never be a 200-inning starting pitcher but he may be able to cover 150-180 innings. The biggest test will be to see if his stuff, namely his fastball, is good enough once he gets to Double-A.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Rangers saw Henriquez pitch as an amateur at a tryout in the Tricky League. He threw 91 mph and they ended up signing him for $10,000, which quickly proved a bargain when his velocity spiked and he dominated the Dominican Summer League. The Rangers pushed him in 2019 to low Class A Hickory, where he had a solid year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez is a power arm who pitches off a fastball that’s mostly 93-96 mph and can crank up to 98. He started to get more swinging strikes off it in the second half when he elevated the pitch more often. He fills the zone and has the ability to generate swing-and-miss with both his slider and changeup. His slider has above-average potential and his changeup can miss bats, too, though it would benefit from more separation off his fastball
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez has a chance to develop into a mid-rotation starter. He’s headed to high Class A Down East in 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Rangers saw Henriquez pitch as an amateur at a tryout in the Tricky League. He threw 91 mph and they ended up signing him for $10,000, which quickly proved a bargain when his velocity spiked and he dominated the Dominican Summer League. The Rangers pushed him in 2019 to low Class A Hickory, where he had a solid year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Henriquez is a power arm who pitches off a fastball that's mostly 93-96 mph and can crank up to 98. He started to get more swinging strikes off it in the second half when he elevated the pitch more often. He fills the zone and has the ability to generate swing-and-miss with both his slider and changeup. His slider has above-average potential and his changeup can miss bats, too, though it would benefit from more separation off his fastball
  
  THE FUTURE: Henriquez has a chance to develop into a mid-rotation starter. He's headed to high Class A Down East in 2020.
• August, 2019 Scouting Report
  Jumped from the Dominican Summer League last year to low Class A Hickory this year, Henriquez has been filling the strike zone with a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s and can reach 98 mph.