Hensley debuts with GCL Yankees

July 30, 2012 by Mike Axisa 42 Comments

Making his professional debut after signing a below-slot $1.2M deal due to an “abnormality” in his shoulder, first rounder Ty Hensley allowed three runs in two innings for the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Yankees this afternoon. The first inning was rough, going double, homer, line out, strikeout, walk, walk, ground ball. Hensley allowed two singles to open the second before getting a ground ball double play (run scored) and another grounder to escape the jam. All told, he allowed the three runs on four hits and two walks in two innings.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel was in attendance and clocked Hensley at 90-93 with some 95s, saying he threw three pitches (presumably fastball, curve, changeup) and was rusty with his command and delivery. After a two or three month layoff from game action, that’s understandable. The 95s are an indication that the shoulder abnormality is nothing serious, at least in theory.

Will

Hopefully Hensley isn’t a bust unlike our past first rounders (Bleich, Culver, Heathcott, Bichette)
- Rich in NJ
  
  That’s really premature on the last two.
  - Rick in Philly
    
    It’s premature on Culver, too.
    - RetroRob
      
      Yup. He’s still quite young and his hitting may improve when they ditch his switch-hitting ways.
      
      There is a growing belief also that defense-first players up the middle will become more important again as hitting decreases, so if Culver gloves continues to impress along with his walk rate, he might end up being a valuable major leaguer.
      - Rick in Philly
        
        This. All sorts of this.
      - Tremont
        
        The trouble with Culver is that I don’t think his defense is anything to write home about. And he has a thick lower half, so whatever youthful agility he has now will likely decrease. I don’t see much there.
  - CP
    
    You can include Culver as being premature too.
    
    And it’s wrong to call Bleich a bust. As the 44th overall pick, this is more or less what you can expect. It’s more or a surprise when they succeed than when they fail.
    - Gonzo
      
      He also got injured. Can you call a guy a bust based on an injury? I guess so.
      - CP
        
        I think a guy can be a bust because of an injury.
        
        For example, if the Yankees sign a solid (but not great) pitcher to a big (but not huge) contract, and then he goes out and has a series of injuries including TJS, and only manages to win 9 games in 4 years, I think he would be a bust. Unlike some people I don’t question his motivation or heart or whatever, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a bust.
        
        Gonzo
        
        No I understand what you’re saying, but I think a prospect injury is different than a FA signing injury. JMO.
    - Rick in Philly
      
      Bleich is also an injury casualty, which to me is a bit different than a talent bust.
- pat
  
  19 y/o Cito is a bust already? Damn.
  - Rick in Philly
    
    Got a burrito? I got a microwave.
- Preston
  
  Bleich isn’t a bust in the sense that you are talking about. Teams know that there is going to be injury attrition among pitchers, as a player he busted, but that doesn’t mean there was something deficient in the Yankees decision to draft him. He was an elite talent and at times flashed why he was chosen where he was. Cuvler and DBJr are both playing full season ball at a young age, if they repeat the level next season and struggle, then we can start to talk about them as maybe being busts, although DBJr might get the promotion anyways(.242/.313/.326 at full season ball at 19). Heathcott is hitting .255/.341/.425 in High A at 21, even with all of his setbacks at this point I think you’d have to consider that on track.
- John Y.
  
  Heathcott and Bichette Busts? What are you smoking? Bichette was drafted last year and Heathcott has five tool talent. (Insert face palm here).
  - RetroRob
    
    The problem with so much information being available is minor leaguers in low leagues get labeled busts by fans who are new to whole concept of player development. Players who get off to quick starts are viewed as stars, players who don’t are busts.
    
    Derek Jeter hit something like .215 his first experience in pro ball and made a ton of errors. I don’t think Miguel Cabrera had one single stand-out year while in the minors until maybe right prior to his call up.
    - Tremont
      
      I guess you’re technically right on both points. Although you are comparing apples and oranges. Jeter struggled in the complex league the season he was drafted. He was fine in his first full year. Miguel Cabrera started his full season A ball at 17, High A at 18, and Double A at 19. He was dominating Double A at 20.
- The Ghost of Joe Dugan
  
  You listed 4 players and only half of them were actually 1st rounders…and that’s the most accurate part of your claim.
DERP

Lail had a solid debut.
IE

And if the Yanks had drafted Mason Williams with that first round pick instead of Culver (or Angelo Gumbs) would that have somehow showed more draft day savvy? The Yanks gambled on Culver and (probably) lost but a potential high upside shortstop is not a bad way to go draft-wise.
- Rich in NJ
  
  Culver may have been an overdraft. That is largely not a smart way to get value from a draft, but if Oppenheimer had a conviction about Culver (and overdrafting is minimized overall) then overdrafting on occasion can be justifiable.
  - John Y.
    
    Culver definitely was an overdraft, but I hope it pays off. I wouldn’t call him a bust yet, but he has not looked good thus far.
- Tremont
  
  The problem with Culver is that most evaluators didn’t see him as a high upside guy. He is an average athlete.
DERP

LOL at people complaining about the Culver pick. The 2010 draft was awesome. Look past the first round pick and it is pretty easy to see.
- Gonzo
  
  I think people are a little sour on the fact that they had a budget that may have had a hand in drafting Culver.
  
  We don’t know if they dodged a bullet by not paying Ranaudo or lost an opportunity in not paying Castellanos.
  
  It’s fun to play GM/DOpp when you’re not them.
- Tremont
  
  I don’t understand your point. You can’t be critical of a pick because subsequent picks were better? That doesn’t make Culver a good pick.
  - Gonzo
    
    Just expanding on his point. I was very critical of the Culver pick. I wanted Castellanos. He’d make a great 3b fill in right now too. It’s ok to be critical.
    - Gonzo
      
      Oops, I thought this was in response to me.
    - Ted Nelson
      
      Nice use of confirmation bias…
Jon

I am a physiologist, and I can say that the abnormality might be totally normal for him. There are more and more cases of unique physiology being documented with the advances in scanning technology.

Sort of cool that what could be totally normal for this kid in terms of structure and function might have saved the yankees a million dollars.
- Voice of Reason
  
  Glad you said that, cause I was about to say that I’m NOT a physiologist, but this “abnormality” is not an injury and apparently doesn’t have any symptoms, so using language like “not serious” and acting as if it’s an injury or something that would hold him out of games or affect his performance seems to be in error.
  
  My perception has been that there’s just something weird about his shoulder, always has been and always will be.
- Tremont
  
  Not that anyone had a choice in the matter, I’d prefer to give him an extra $400 k and NOT have the abnormality.
LarryM.,Fl.

The only thing that I gather from the report was rustiness and this is not Oklahoma H.S. baseball. Where the lineups are filled with H.S drafted players.
Tim

Not at all premature on Culver, come on, he’s a bust and a 1/2. Worst first round choice in years!
- Andy Pettitte’s Fibula (formerly Manny’s BanWagon)
  
  From what I recall, Culver was a pretty good pitcher in HS.
  
  If his hitting doesn’t improve in the next couple of years, I wonder if they would consider making him a pitcher again.
- John Y.
  
  Andrew Brackman does not agree with your statement lol.
  - Tremont
    
    At least Brackman was a gamble on what everyone agreed was a player with enormous upside.
- Ted Nelson
  
  It is definitely premature. Dude is 19 and plays SS. Most players taken around there will bust. If he can become even a UTL in MLB, that was a successful pick.
Wayne

I think Ty may need to change his mechanics. His shoulder abnormality may be be because he delays when his body is already in position to throw the ball. In other words his throwing arm is already up when he wants to delay. If you watch cc sabathia his arm is down when he delays so his arm is not in position to throw the ball when he delays so he has no problems. Ty Hensley may want to smooth out his mechanics. I don’t know the exact answer but Yankees should be focusing on his mechanics as of this moment instead of worrying about his stats for now. The statement on his delay in his delivery could be conjecture on my part but it also could mean the difference between a potential ace with no health issues in his throwing arm and a guy already having shoulder surgery at such a young age.
Wayne

What I meant to say is that sabathia’s arm goes straight down when he delays while Ty Hensley arm may be down but it’s bent when he delays so it is already in position to throw the ball when he delays. This could be theory on my end but again correcting this may make a difference and not having a messed up arm.
newyorker4life

Good observation on Ty Hensley’s mechanics. No doubt they are working on it, but hey if baseball doesn’t work out he might have a signing career. Found it on You Tube:

http://youtu.be/6AqrwwEHDc0
- newyorker4life
  
  I am jk…want to see the kid have a great career as a ball player. I just thought this was interesting. Certainly not an introvert and seems like a good guy.