Henry Alejandro Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #24 prospect in 2013
  A thumb injury, a pair of promotions and a lack of plate discipline exploited by Triple-A pitchers helped end what had been an impressive streak for Rodriguez. For the first time in five years he failed to hit .300, putting up a combined line of .282/.310/.370 last season. He still carries a .303 career minor league average, and he made his big league debut as a September callup. In recent years Rodriguez has had a run of bad luck with injuries. He broke his ankle in late August 2011, then missed six weeks with a broken thumb last year. His biggest liability, however, is his defensive limitations. He's a tick below-average third baseman with an average arm for the position. He's well below average at second base because of his limited range and his difficulty with the pivot on double plays. He has played shortstop at times, but no scouts project him as anything more than an emergency fill-in there. Rodriguez has the look of a utilityman, but he'll have to polish his defense across the infield to do that. He's likely to spend some more time with Louisville in 2013.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #17 prospect in 2012
  In a system filled with second baseman who can hit, Rodriguez's bat pales only in comparison to Ronald Torreyes' among that group. A switch-hitter who's equally comfortable from either side of the plate, Rodriguez has hit .300 or better in each of the past four seasons to earn a spot on Cincinnati's 40-man roster. He has a repeatable swing from both sides with significantly more power from the right side. His pop goes mainly to the gaps rather than over the fence, and he's at his best when he focuses on using the whole field. He's a slightly above-average runner who steals bases because he knows when to pick his spots. If Rodriguez is going to be a big leaguer, he still has work to do defensively. He doesn't always read balls off the bat properly, leading to late jumps, and struggles with the pivot on double plays. Rodriguez's has enough arm for second base and can hold his own at third base. He also has played shortstop on occasion and could end up as a utilityman if he can improve his defense. He's ready for Triple-A but may end up at Pensacola if Chris Valaika starts 2012 in Louisville.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #23 prospect in 2011
  Dayton was one of the worst teams in minor league baseball in 2010, and at one point the Dragons lost 24 straight home games. On a team with plenty of disappointing players, Rodriguez was one of the few bright spots. At the plate, he's a switch-hitter who shows power from both sides. He has a conventional set-up from the right side, while lefthanded he has to bring the bat a long way to the zone from a rather noisy, high-handed stance. He chases a lot of balls out of the zone, but his hand-eye coordination allows him to get away with it more than most. Rodriguez is an average runner. He needs to hit because he's a tick below average defensively, with limited range. His arm works at second base and is short for shortstop and possibly third base. Rodriguez has a ways to go when it comes to mastering the more intricate aspects of the game. He would forget to cover bases at times and made a variety of other mental mistakes, including failing to run out balls. Rodriguez is somewhat similar to Chris Valaiaka, as an offense-first second baseman. He'll advance to high Class A this year.