Steven Hensley Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Steven Daniel Hensley
Born 12/27/1986 in Asheville, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Elon
Drafted in the 4th round (132nd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2008 (signed for $233,000).

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Drafted in the 44th round of the 2005 draft by the Nationals, Hensley chose college and over the past three years has made a solid case to be considered the best pitcher in Elon's baseball history. The career strikeout and wins leader for the Phoenix, Hensley also has a chance to be the highest-drafted Elon player since the school moved up to Division I in 2000 (Lefthander Brad Pinkerton was a fifth-round selection of the Angels in the 2001 draft). He attacks hitters with a four-pitch mix, including a low-90s fastball, fringe-average changeup and curveball, and average slider. At his best, Hensley throws from a high three-quarters arm slot, and has both late life and tight spin on his fastball and secondary pitches. At times he's inconsistent, dropping his arm angle and causing his pitches to flatten out. Hensley also has experience pitching the Cape Cod League, going 4-2, 3.52 for the Bourne Braves last summer.

Top Rankings

Elon's career strikeout leader and the highest draft pick (fourth round) in school history, Hensley had his 2008 pro debut cut short by a partially torn elbow ligament. He opted for rest and rehab rather than surgery and made a full recovery in 2009, logging 148 innings--the majority of them in pitching-hostile High Desert--while pacing the organization with 135 strikeouts. Hensley aggressively throws strikes with his 88-92 mph fastball and plus hard slider. His fastball hit 94 during most starts, and more consistently in the second half of the season. His changeup, which he didn't use much in college, shows solid potential. He also throws a curveball, but it flattens out, as do his other pitches, when he drops from his usual high three-quarters arm slot. He's not overpowering, but he balances that by being a top competitor. Hensley could develop into a durable innings-eater or a setup reliever. The next step is conquering Double-A, where he got hit hard in three starts last year.