With the 30th selection in last night’s draft, the Yankees chose Oklahoma prep righthander Ty Hensley. The club had been linked to a prep righty for most of the spring, and the club had to be thrilled that Hensley fell in their lap at 30, as he was ranked a bit higher than (Baseball America ranked him #23). Here is a brief scouting report on the latest Yankees first rounder:
At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Hensley is an imposing presence on the mound. He backs up his look with a devastating power arsenal, featuring a fastball that sits in the low-90s, and can touch 96-97 when he needs extra. His 12-to-6 curveball is a true hammer he throws in the upper-70s, that is already a plus pitch, and is one of the best in the draft. His changeup is a work in progress, but flashes the potential to be at least an above average pitch. Hensley lacks consistency with his location, which could be a product of a spike in his velocity. He’s a great athlete that has plenty of projection left, and could develop into a top of the rotation starter in the majors.
More after the jump...
As Travis reported earlier this morning, Yankees’ scouting director Damon Oppenheimer had this to say about Hensley:
"We’re excited to get a guy with such a high ceiling. He has the ideal body for a high school pitcher, as well as power stuff, and has the ability to be a high-end starter. He’s demonstrated a quality makeup and has shown himself to be a hard worker, which makes him a quality pick for us."
I started watching some more video on Hensley last night after the Yankees drafted him, and while I really liked what I saw, I did notice some small things that will need to be corrected moving forward. One thing you’ll immediately notice about Hensley is how much arm speed he generates as he’s delivering the ball to the plate. This allows him to get good movement and velocity on his pitches, and led him to striking out 110 batters in 55.1 innings as a senior. The downside to this is that he sometimes loses balance upon completing his delivery, which could be one of the reasons he has inconsistent command. Hensley also possesses a high leg kick, but overall, seems to have a pretty smooth delivery. Take a look at the video below to get a closer look at Hensley in action:
Reactions came fast and furious on Twitter following the Yankees pick. Here are some of the more notable ones:
@Kevin_Goldstein Hensley at 30 to the Yankees is highway robbery
@jimcallisBA I thought Hensley would go mid-first round. Son of pitching coach has plus stuff, like this for #Yankees at 30. #mlbdraft
@johnmanuelba Thought #Yankees would go LHP but going Ty Hensley here at No. 30. Big live armed prep RHP from Oklahoma
I mentioned on Twitter last night the top three Oklahoma prep pitchers from last year’s draft, who happened to be Dylan Bundy, Archie Bradley, and Michael Fulmer. All three of those gentlemen are having good success in their first taste of professional baseball, and Bundy is probably the best prospect in the minors already. I’m fine with believing that it’s something in the water down in Oklahoma, and hope that Ty Hensley is drinking from the same fountain as those who came before him.
How do you feel about the selection of Ty Hensley? Is there another player you’d have liked to see the Yankees select at this point in the draft?