The Houston Astros thought they were acquiring a difference-making designated hitter at the deadline when they traded for Trey Mancini.
Unfortunately for them, Mancini hasn’t been able to produce the way he has in the past.
That has forced the Astros to look for other alternatives at the critical designated hitter position.
For Game 3 of the World Series, manager Dusty Baker has appointed rookie David Hensley as the starter at the DH spot.
Hensley, however, is not your typical rookie: he is not that young, and he wasn’t a top draft pick.
“David Hensley — 26-year-old rookie, veteran of 16 @MLB regular-season games — is a great story. A 26th round pick four years ago, he’s the @astros starting DH in #WorldSeries Game 3. The @MLB Draft no longer has a 26th round,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
David Hensley — 26-year-old rookie, veteran of 16 @MLB regular-season games — is a great story.
A 26th round pick four years ago, he’s the @astros starting DH in #WorldSeries Game 3.
The @MLB Draft no longer has a 26th round.@MLBNetwork @MLBPipeline @AztecBaseball
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 1, 2022
Hensley Would Have Gone Undrafted In 2022
Since baseball has implemented changes since 2018, when Hensley was drafted, it’s fair to say he would have gone undrafted had he entered this year’s edition.
The draft has 20 rounds these days, but they used to be many more.
Hensley’s main attribute at the plate is definitely his discipline and patience.
In just 34 plate appearances, he slashed .345/.441/.586 at the MLB level, but the sample is too small to draw any conclusions.
Perhaps it’s best to see what he did in Triple-A before being called up.
In 464 trips to the plate, he hit .298/.420/.478 with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases, showing the world what his true potential is.
The Astros are probably better off handing the DH spot to Hensley, as he can add a potent bat with excellent on-base ability to their already deep lineup.
