Henry Alberto Rodriguez Stats & Scouting Report

IP	150
ERA	4.32
WHIP	1.54
BB/9	6.42
SO/9	9.06

Full name Henry Alberto Rodriguez
Born 02/25/1987 in Santa Barbara Del Zulia, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 09/21/2009

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Last season marked Rodriguez' first year as a full-time reliever, but the control problems that hampered his career as a starter were as bad as ever. It's hard not to be awestruck by his lightning arm, as he routinely fires fastballs in the upper 90s and can hit 100 mph, as he did in the 2008 Futures Game. His slider is overpowering as well, and he shows flashes of an effective changeup. He's nearly unhittable when he throws strikes, as his three-pitch mix is good enough that batters can't sit on his fastball. He just doesn't throw strikes nearly enough. Rodriguez still is trying to figure out his mechanics, working on staying closed and separating his hands before he comes to the plate. He tends to overthrow and has trouble repeating his delivery. Rodriguez did have success during a brief callup to Oakland late last season. He sometimes looked like he had trouble staying motivated in the minors and would pitch to the level of his competition. Based on his performance last year, Rodriguez should repeat Triple-A in 2010. However, he could pitch his way into the big league bullpen in the spring, especially if he responds to the challenge of facing big league hitters. Rodriguez has the potential to be a major league closer, but he has to rein in his command if he's going to earn that role.
Rodriguez began the year in a prospect-laden Stockton rotation but quickly moved up to Double-A after just three starts. He got rocked in Midland, as Texas League hitters took advantage of his inability to throw enough strikes and get ahead in the count. The A's sent him back down to high Class A in June, put him in the bullpen in August and moved him back up to Double-A for five more relief outings. He still fought his control but he was able to overpower hitters more easily in shorter stints. One of the few Latin American prospects in the organization prior to the Michael Inoa signing, Rodriguez is a good athlete with tremendous arm strength, which he showed by touching 100 mph with his fastball at the Futures Game. As a starter, Rodriguez regularly sits in the low- to mid-90s with some running life, but as a reliever his heater regularly clocks in the upper 90s. His arsenal is hard, hard and harder, as he lacks a reliable off-speed pitch. He has added more pronounced break to his spinning slider, though it remains inconsistent. His changeup has occasional split action, but it's definitely his third pitch. Rodriguez's arm action is short in the back and lacks fluidity. He struggles at times to maintain balance in his delivery and often falls off to the first-base side. Despite his struggles in 2008, he could get the opportunity to open 2009 in the Triple-A bullpen. As soon as he throws strikes on a more consistent basis, he'll be ready for Oakland.
Signed out of Venezuela in 2003, Rodriguez didn't make his pro debut until 2005 because of a nagging groin injury. The injury continued to bother him in his U.S. debut in 2006, the highlight of which was a combined no-hitter with Trevor Cahill in the Rookie-level Arizona League. That outing seemed to turn him around, as his confidence soared and he has been much more effective ever since. Rodriguez owns the best fastball in the system, consistently working at 92-96 mph. His heater has outstanding late life in the zone, riding in on righthanders and down and away from lefties. He has hit 100 mph, though he has bought into the philosophy that command is more important that lighting up radar guns. His changeup shows signs of being a plus pitch. He shows little concern for throwing inside and is aggressive on the mound. He's athletic, repeats his delivery and fields his position well. Rodriguez has tinkered with both a curveball and slider, but he still lacks a consistent breaking ball. He settled on a slider last year, which fits his repertoire much better, but it's still well-below-average. Though he has toned down his emotions on the mound, he still needs to mature. He can fall out of his mechanics easily, leading to erratic command of all three pitches at times. The lack of a breaking ball has some scouts targeting Rodriguez as a future reliever, but the A's will remain patient. If his slider comes around, he has the makings of a middle-of-the-rotation starter. If not, he'll be a power reliever. He'll be challenged to keep the ball down and throw consistent strikes in high Class A this season.

Minor League Top Prospects

Rodriguez's second tour of the PCL went much better than his first one did in 2009, and the Athletics rewarded him by keeping him in the big league bullpen for most of the second half. He lives off his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s and can hit 100 mph. He also has a hard slider with tilt, though he struggles to throw it for strikes. His wildness led to his undoing a year ago, and Rodriguez's command still wasn't ideal this year. He still flies open in his delivery, though he didn't overthrow as often and was much more under control on the mound. His fastball and slider give him the chance to be a big league closer--if he can refine his control and command.
Standing out among all the talent at the Futures Game is rare, but so is Rodriguez's fastball. His heater sat at 98-99 mph and touched 100, making a definite impression on anyone who saw him at Yankee Stadium in July. That same outing also showed that he still needs polish. He reared back for something extra on one fastball and ended up on his rear end after his follow-through. Rodriguez's fastball has not only velocity but also good life, and his slider showed progress this season. He needs to refine his pitches and control to make the jump to the big leagues. While he throws a changeup as a starter, most people think he'll end up as a reliever, and he has the pure stuff to work as a closer.