Henry Rodriguez Update (Espn.com)

[New Fever]

Reds prospect



Venezuelan newspaper El Universal profiles 19-year-old shortstop Hendry Rodriguez, a Cincinnati Reds prospect who excelled this year for the Aguilas del Zulia. In his rookie year in the Venezuelan winter league, Rodriguez batted .368 with a .544 slugging percentage.



Hernandez also had 30 hits in the round robin playoff series, which broke a team record previously held by teammate Alberto Callaspo.



Last year Rodriguez hit .322 for the Gulf Coast League Reds.

This is an article about Henry Rodriguez:
http://translate.google.com/translat...it.ly%2F7tJMgm

[Ron Madden]

WOW!

[REDblooded]

I love me some Henry

[RedEye]

Who is this guy and why have I never heard of him on RedsZone?

[dougdirt]

Who is this guy and why have I never heard of him on RedsZone?

You don't follow the Prospect Rankings much do you? A certain poster has been banging that HRod drum for like 10 votes in a row.

[bucksfan2]

You don't follow the Prospect Rankings much do you? A certain poster has been banging that HRod drum for like 10 votes in a row.

Didn't he play for the Expos years ago?

[RedEye]

You don't follow the Prospect Rankings much do you? A certain poster has been banging that HRod drum for like 10 votes in a row.

My bad, Doug. I figured you'd be on to him if anyone was. Anyway, glad to hear the Reds have yet another good prospect at the position!

[REDblooded]

I asked Jocketty about Henry Rodriguez's defense today at the caravan stop in Bloomington and he said it was "excellent"...

[mth123]

I asked Jocketty about Henry Rodriguez's defense today at the caravan stop in Bloomington and he said it was "excellent"...

Bumping this thread and this particular post from January of 2010 to restart some discussion of Henry Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is 21 years old and has been promoted agressively having already logged 168 PAs at AA. Todd Frazier's time at 2B failed and Chris Valaika seems to have stalled. Brandon Phillips probably returns with his option invoked for 2012, but after that, it isn't completely clear who the 2B in Cincy will be. Phillps will be a hard act to follow. He's been a pretty decent, if flawed, offensive performer in the MI and his defense is second to none and IMO converts a solid all around defense to an equalizing force that makes some shaky pitchers look a lot better than they really are. Ronald Torreyes looks like a guy who could replace Phillips defensively, while being a contributor on offense, but has a long way to go and won't be ready IMO.

That brings me to Rodriguez. H-Rod has generally hit like Phillips with an .810 OPS at Low A in a 2010 season that included 14 homers and 33 steals in 547 PAs. In the first half of 2011, in hitter friendly A+, H-Rod had an .891 OPS with 8 HR and 12 SBs in 254 PAs. Those are Phillips like numbers including the high number of CS that go along with those SBs. He's struggled in AA with an OPS of .700 in 168 PAs, but he's a little young for the league and suspect he may adjust.

So, can H-Rod take over at 2B in 2013? Will his bat continue to play at the upper levels and in MLB? How is his defense really? The quote above sounds promising, but I've heard other reports that his defense is lacking in both range and consistency. Unless the Reds come up with at least a plus defender at 2b, the drop from Phillips other wordly defense might have a large impact on the run prevention in Cincinnati. Is this guy potentially a long term answer or would he simply be a stopgap until somebody more touted like Hamilton or Torreyes is ready?

Please discuss.

[schmidty622]

you don't follow the Prospect Rankings much do you? A certain poster has been banging that HRod drum for like 10 votes in a row.

He def has an abundance of tools.

[lollipopcurve]

HRod was on no one's radar until he exploded in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason. He started out in their junior circuit down there, hit well and then moved up to the senior league, where he played SS (he didn't play a lot of SS for the Reds GCL team in 09) and hit leadoff most of the time.

An example of a young Latin ballplayer whose "breakout" comes in his home country, not stateside. He's a surprise to everyone this winter.

[dougdirt]

HRod was on no one's radar until he exploded in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason. He started out in their junior circuit down there, hit well and then moved up to the senior league, where he played SS (he didn't play a lot of SS for the Reds GCL team in 09) and hit leadoff most of the team.

An example of a young Latin ballplayer whose "breakout" comes in his home country, not stateside. He's a surprise to everyone this winter.

He was on my radar. Just didn't talk about him here. After seeing him swing though, I like him more than I did at the end of the regular season. And is it really a breakout on his home soil? The kid did hit .322 in the GCL this year.

[OnBaseMachine]

He was on my radar. Just didn't talk about him here. After seeing him swing though, I like him more than I did at the end of the regular season. And is it really a breakout on his home soil? The kid did hit .322 in the GCL this year.

I remember you and I discussed him a little in the GCL Reds thread over the summer.

[lollipopcurve]

He was on my radar. Just didn't talk about him here. After seeing him swing though, I like him more than I did at the end of the regular season. And is it really a breakout on his home soil? The kid did hit .322 in the GCL this year.

If you say so. He isn't on your top 40, and that's got guys like Mark Fleury and Alexander Smit on it.

We all saw HRod's numbers in the GCL, but nobody made much noise about him. When they needed an infielder in Billings, Cris Rodriguez got the call, not HRod, so I have to think HRod has surprised even the Reds.

And yes, he has had a breakout in the VWL -- playing SS and hitting leadoff to the tune of the high .300s, ahead of Callaspo, qualifies as a breakout for a 19-year-old who's had 1 season in the GCL.

[dougdirt]

If you say so. He isn't on your top 40, and that's got guys like Mark Fleury and Alexander Smit on it.

From my site on October 1st in the State of the Farm for Third Base

Henry Rodriguez was another high average guy at second base for the GCL Reds where the 19 year old hit .322/..354/.421. Unlike Sierra, Rodriguez wasn’t completely reliant on an absolutely unsustainable BABIP. In 161 plate appearances Rodriguez had a 4.3% walk rate and 11.2% strikeout rate. Since he played in the GCL I honestly have no idea what his defense is like.

The bold part is why he didn't make my Top 40. I had no idea what his defense was like at all as I had not seen him. Now that I have seen him, he would be in the mid 20's.

And yes, he has had a breakout in the VWL -- playing SS and hitting leadoff to the tune of the high .300s, ahead of Callaspo, qualifies as a breakout for a 19-year-old who's had 1 season in the GCL.

The shortstop thing was nice, but the bat isn't much of a breakout. The guy has hit .316 and .322 the last two seasons.