Nats' Henry takes AFL strikeout lead
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Cole Henry’s first professional season, spent primarily with High-A Wilmington, made one thing abundantly clear: he’s really hard to hit.
Henry, the Nats’ No. 7 prospect, stacked up 70 strikeouts across 47 innings in his age-21 campaign. He has parlayed that success into early dominance in the Arizona Fall League, with Surprise's 8-4 win over Scottsdale on Saturday serving as the latest example.
Henry’s fourth AFL outing (second start) saw him compile six strikeouts over four innings, yielding just one run on two hits. Thus far, batters are hitting .163 against the hard-throwing righty, who has a league-leading 21 punchouts in his 12 Fall League frames.
“I really had a good feel for my two-seam,” Henry said. “Curveball felt pretty good, changeup was pretty hit or miss, but it started coming along late in the outing. Everything felt good.”
It’s often said that competition breeds excellence. Henry is getting his fair share of it from all angles during the Fall League, both inside his own clubhouse and while standing on the mound.
Saguaros pitchers have been the recipients of the first two AFL Pitcher of the Week honors -- No. 29 Rangers prospect Owen White in Week 1 and the Reds' James Marinan in Week 2.
“We got a hell of a pitching staff,” Henry said. “I really like all the guys. We mesh well.”
On a club chock full of pitching -- which also includes Jackson Rutledge, Washington’s No. 3 prospect -- Henry has been happy to contribute, no matter how he’s utilized.
“I like doing both. I don’t have a favorite,” Henry said of his starter/reliever hybrid role. “It’s definitely a different mindset, for sure, coming out of the ‘pen -- just pump gas.
“It’s a different mindset as a starter -- you got to make sure all three pitches are working, get guys out early in the count, save some pitches, go deep into games.”
As for the opposition, Henry embraces the challenge of the other club’s best. In Scottsdale’s case, that would be Red Sox No. 2 prospect Triston Casas and Giants top prospect Marco Luciano, the latter of whom is also the No. 5 overall prospect. The 22-year-old right-hander faced each of them twice and got the same result in all four matchups -- a swinging strikeout.
The start to Henry’s professional career was first scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out Minor League Baseball in 2020, before right elbow soreness sidetracked him this year. The AFL gives him a chance to build arm strength while going up against elite talent.
“Getting innings in, facing these hitters -- man, they’re good,” Henry said. “Just getting more consistent with my changeup, curveball, making sure that I get those over for strikes in any count.
“I’d rather face really good hitters than really bad hitters. [I’m] going out there, just competing and seeing how [my] stuff plays against really good guys. … Just trying to get wins, that’s all we’re trying to do.”
With Surprise off to a commanding 12-3 start -- including its current seven-game winning streak -- Henry and Co. have made that look easy.
Fellow Nationals prospect Donovan Casey (No. 18) led off the game by going yard, giving him a homer in two straight contests.
The star offensive effort of the afternoon came from Kansas City’s Seuly Matias, who finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, adding his fifth AFL home run, while increasing his RBI total to 16.