Lightning quick Henry moving up fast in Indians' system

(Photo: Lianna Holub)

Cleveland Indians minor league outfielder Jordan Henry has been a fast riser in the organization.

Almost exactly one year after being selected as a junior out of the University of Mississippi in the 7th round of the 2009 Draft, he found himself being promoted from High-A Kinston to Double-A Akron on June 14th of last season.

Henry’s rapid ascent from the lower levels of the minor leagues to the upper levels was a testament to his performance and advanced approach at the plate. In his two year career covering 183 games between three different levels at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley, Kinston and Akron, he owns a batting line of .303/.410/.349 and an impressive 125-123 walk to strikeout ratio.

Henry, 22, is not going to wow anyone with eye-popping numbers as a run producer, but he does everything else well by playing excellent defense, runs well, and gets on-base at a very good clip. He has shown a lot in his year and a half in the system, and has really hit the ground running as far as adapting to the professional game.

"Coming into [my first] season getting used to everything playing in short season [at Mahoning Valley] I got a good feel for things," Henry said in a recent interview with the IPI. "Getting to play at a higher level at Kinston earlier in the year [last] year was something a little different, but I felt comfortable. It took me a little while at Akron to get it going, but I feel like I made a couple adjustments and was better at the plate. I just felt that if I made the right adjustments and had the right approach that everything would be fine."

The adjustments a player has to make going from college to the pros and from level to level in the minor leagues is very tough, but so far Henry has adjusted nicely and has only had to make a few subtle adjustments in order to maintain consistent success so far in his career.

"There are a few small things that you can feel," Henry said. "For instance, I feel like sometimes I [had] to be more aggressive up [in Akron] than I was in Kinston. I kind of got behind counts more [in Akron] and there are more strikes thrown [at that level]. l like to go to the plate with a patient approach, but at times I have to change that up because if pitchers are getting ahead of you it is tougher to hit late in counts at the higher levels. So I had to make an adjustment and be a little more aggressive earlier in counts."

Henry doesn't have the prettiest swing, in fact a lot of people have joked that he looks like he is swinging a tennis racket instead of a baseball bat. But for pitchers the results are no laughing matter as he consistently finds a way to get on base and then wreak havoc with his plus speed and intelligence on the bases.

Henry knows what kind of player he is, that being a slap hitter who works counts and whose job it is to be a table-setter at the top of the lineup. He is what he is, and it is not going to change.

"If you try to do too much you will get out of your game," Henry said. "You just have to go with what you have and trust it."

Probably the only true weakness to Henry's game is his lack of any power. He has well below average power where he has yet to hit a home run in 697 professional at bats and has just 28 extra base hits. In fact, even with the assistance of the aluminum bat in college he hit just one home run over the fence in his three year career at the University of Mississippi.

According to Henry, that lone home run in college was legit and not the wind aided wall-scraper that you would think it would be.

"In college I hit one over the fence my sophomore year," Henry chuckled. "It was actually a for sure one that I hit to right center field and I got all of it. I don't know how many feet it went, but it was a no doubter that's for sure. But that is the only one so far."

For Henry to have much success in the upper levels and potentially reach the big leagues he is going to have to get a little stronger and at times show the ability drive the ball with more authority. He is fully aware of this limitation as a hitter and is working on ways to improve his ability to drive the ball into the gaps more so that it will keep the opposing outfielders more honest in how they play him.

Henry went to Instructional League in the fall and did not participate in any games, and instead spent the entire month there on a lifting program to try and improve his strength. He has since carried that lifting program into the offseason and he hopes to add a few pounds by the start of spring training.

"Yeah, I think there comes a point where you have to be able to do that, whether it be more home runs or hitting more doubles into the gaps to keep the defense honest," Henry said. "I think that is something down the road that I will need to improve every year because it is something I need to bring more to my game to be where I want to be. That [started] this fall as they [had] me working out in Instructional League just doing some weight lifting and try to put on a couple extra pounds and get a little stronger, so hopefully that will lead to some improvement."

With some added strength and a more aggressive approach at the plate, Henry hopes it will translate into more extra base hits for him in 2011.

"I am still trying to make that adjustment being more aggressive earlier in counts because I have always been used to being patient early in counts," Henry said. "I need to try to mentally go to the plate and feel more free and aggressive, and maybe that will lead to more extra base hits because it is hard to get those when hitting with two strikes a lot of times. So I feel like if I can get better earlier in the count [and get stronger], some of that will improve."

As a defender Henry is lightning quick in the outfield and goes back on balls as good as anyone in the Indians’ system. He shows very good range and a solid arm, and looks right at home patrolling center field.

"I feel great out there," Henry said. "Each year since I have been playing center I am feeling more comfortable. I have been able to make some plays out there and bring my confidence up even more out there. So I feel good where I am at. I just want to be aggressive out there and go after as many balls as I can."

Henry's brother, Justin, is three years older than him and is an infielder in the Detroit Tigers system. Both are the exact same kind of player where they lack any power whatsoever, but display some great plate discipline, bat-to-ball ability, speed, and play very sound defense. The only real difference between the two is their age and that one is an infielder and the other an outfielder.

They got a real treat last year when Jordan was promoted to Akron in June. Justin was playing for Double-A Erie at the time so they had a chance to meet on the diamond as professionals for the first and only time so far in their young careers.

"I had a chance to pay against him earlier in the year at Erie so that was pretty cool as it was the first time we played against each other," Henry said. "But then he got called up to Toledo. Hopefully I can catch up to him. We tell each other we could one day meet each other up there [in the big leagues]. That's the plan."

So far everything is working according to plan for Henry. He adapted well to the everyday rigors of the game last season, something that many players don't do, and should be ready to give it another crack once the 2011 season opens in about three months.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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