MIAMI -- For a reliever, nothing feels lonelier than being walked off. While a celebration goes on around you, there’s the slow, dejected walk back to the dugout, through the tunnel and into a quiet clubhouse.
Right-hander Ronny Henriquez experienced that early in his Miami tenure, when the reigning World Series champion Dodgers scored a pair of runs in the 10th inning to beat the Marlins, 7-6, on April 28 in front of more than 48,000 fans.
“I think coming from a moment like that, and then seeing the type of year he's had, how far he has come ... I don't know, it feels like now you're getting a strikeout per game," manager Clayton McCullough said in September. "I hate to use the word ‘automatic,’ but he's been just so consistent for such a long time now.”
By season’s end, Henriquez had quietly become one of the Majors’ top relievers.
According to Statcast, Henriquez ranked favorably in the following metrics: chase rate (98th percentile), whiff rate (97th), expected batting average (97th) and K rate (94th). His +14 pitching run value combined on breaking pitches (which counts all curveballs, sliders, sweepers, slurves and knuckleballs) tied for fourth best among relievers.
Among qualifying National League relievers, Henriquez fared well in fWAR (11th), innings (12th) and ERA (13th). His K/9 (12.08) and total strikeouts (98) trailed only Jeremiah Estrada (13.32, 108) and Edwin Díaz (13.30, 98).
“It was an extraordinary season overall, for myself, for a lot of my teammates, for the team,” Henriquez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Very proud of everybody. I think it was the season that I was able to achieve several goals that made me very proud of myself, and again, just looking forward to doing better and improving those numbers next season.”
Those goals were fairly simple: Stay healthy and spend the entire season in the big leagues. Henriquez was unable to achieve either in 2023.
How exactly did Henriquez, with just 19 Major League outings to his name, do so?
The 25-year-old added a sweeper -- like many of his Marlins peers. It would become one of the best chase pitches in the Majors (47%), making it the seventh highest on a single pitch type (min. 150 out-of-zone pitches thrown with that pitch type). Henriquez also changed his pitch usage dramatically. In 2024, his changeup was his most-used pitch; he cut that in half in '25:
2024:
• 34% changeup
• 33.3% slider
• 29.7% four-seamer
2025:
• 29.7% four-seamer
• 28.3% sweeper
• 23.3% slider
• 16.6% changeup
“I will say three things: God first. Second of all, the coaching staff, a lot of help from them, and third, helping myself mentally before the game,” Henriquez said. “It's just a combination of all that help, the trust I got from everybody here. It truly pushed me up.
“Of course, last year, I had three pitches only. This year, I now have five. I was able to add the sweeper and the sinker. I think that's something that helped me a lot.”
While the Marlins have been able to discover hidden bullpen gems and then unlock their potential, Henriquez’s star has shone brightest.
During the early part of 2025, the Marlins didn’t quite know what they had in Henriquez. So he pitched in the middle of the game, oftentimes for longer spurts. His first save opportunity for Miami came in that walk-off defeat to Los Angeles.
Once Henriquez harnessed his strike-throwing, especially against left-handed batters, McCullough trusted him in high-leverage situations. Henriquez kept putting up zeros, with no earned runs in 11 consecutive appearances following that fateful night at Dodger Stadium. Less than a month later, Henriquez recorded his first career save in Anaheim.
Henriquez would also set a franchise record with 29 consecutive relief outings with a strikeout. The previous record was 18, done by multiple pitchers.
If the Marlins want to build upon their surprise 2025 success, Henriquez will play a vital role in taking the next step.
“Seeing him early in Spring Training, it was very apparent early the type of arm Ronny had, and we did believe that Ronny had a chance to be a very key piece of our bullpen,” McCullough said. “… It's been a real pleasant surprise, and it's not by accident. Ronny has multiple pitches that are plus, and the confidence he's gained throughout this year being thrust into a variety of experiences and situations now [is] a real win for us organizationally. Ronny certainly performed at a really high level.”