Mark Hendrickson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #13 prospect in 2003
  Forgoing an NBA career looks like the right decision for Hendrickson. He was a two-time first-team all-Pacific-10 Conference selection in basketball at Washington State, leading the Cougars to an NCAA tournament berth in 1994 as a power forward. He played parts of four seasons in the NBA with four teams, most recently the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2000. He was on non-guaranteed 10-day contracts and finally decided to give baseball a full-time shot. Drafted six different times in baseball by five organizations, Hendrickson signed with the Blue Jays in 1998. He made the most progress in 2002, when he finished the year in the major leagues and went 3-0, 2.45 for Toronto, making four effective starts to end the season. Hendrickson has more projection left than the average 28-year-old, given his inexperience and size. He has worked hard to stay tall in his delivery and has bumped his fastball velocity to 92-93 mph. He has developed a solid cut fastball and changeup, and is working on keeping good tilt on his 76-80 mph power curveball, which can be a plus pitch. As expected from an NBA veteran, Hendrickson wasn't phased by the big league atmosphere. His confidence and athleticism may have been the deciding factors in helping him persevere to this point, and he'll compete for a spot in the 2003 big league rotation.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #11 prospect in 2001
  One of the Blue Jays' most intriguing prospects, Hendricksen isn't the typical 26-year-old just reaching Double-A. He was drafted six times by before signing with the Blue Jays, who scouted him in a semipro wood-bat league in southeastern Pennsylvania. Hendricksen led Washington State's basketball team to the NCAA tournament in 1994 and was an all-Pacific-10 Conference selection in 1995 and '96. The 31st overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, Hendricksen has a spotty NBA career, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 114 games for Cleveland, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Sacramento. He has played in the Continental Basketball Association and has signed three 10-day NBA contracts as an injury fill-in. His baseball career was similarly spotty until 2000. He shone in his second Double-A stint and pitched well in the Arizona Fall League. While his fastball has reached 93 mph in the past, Hendrickson was throwing in the 85-90 mph range in the AFL with good movement and command. He employs both a slider and curveball, showing better break on the curve but better control of the slider. The organization is impressed with the development of his changeup as well. The bottom line with Hendricksen is commitment. The organization expected him to attempt to play in the NBA again in order to reach the service time required for an NBA pension, but hopes he will realize his ceiling is higher in baseball than it is in basketball.