Austin Hendrick - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 CIN OF 1 55

Grades Update: Nov 2020
OFP Role Hit Power Field Arm Run
55 60 50 60 50 55 50

Nov 2020 Report

Evaluator: Mike Kinsela

Age: 20 yr
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2020 Draft - Round 1
RuleV: 2023

Physical Description: Athletic build with lean, athletic strength at present. Broadness of shoulders and general body type say there's 10-15 pounds of physical projection remaining-is more filled out than average "projection prep".

Hit: Hendrick was known more as a pull-happy power bat in his underclass days and into his summer on the circuit, but noticeable improvements in his lower half and loading mechanism allowed for better barrel control and increases in potential hit tool projection. 70 bat speed with lag in zone, lower half is under control, gains ground out of wider stance while holding coil in rear leg, barrel takes direct path and stays in zone. Formerly had problems with drift and posture, both have vastly improved. Something of a free swinger but knows the zone, his approach matured leading up to the draft as well. An average hit tool future is possible here, but the realistic outcome is a fringe hit tool. Grade: 50

Power: Plus raw power out of high school, capable of driving the ball out of the ballpark to all fields, with best juice working to pull-side still. Has shown impressive exit velocities consistently, plus-plus bat speed with violent intent, has registered triple digit exit velos the opposite way and back through the middle. Improved balance and overall body control during swing as detailed above lead to better in-game presentation of power. The raw power upside here is 70, could be even more than that but 70 is a realistic raw power projection. With the projection of a fringe average hit tool and solid-average approach, plus game power is certainly the projection here. Grade: 60

Field: Will likely profile best in right field, presently has the athleticism and foot speed to be tried in center field. Best run times down the line in solid-average range, has clocked in above-average 60 yard dash times and is better once underway, still most likely to have average range with above-average instincts in an outfield corner, with either right field or left field being potential landing spots. 1st base is a possibility depending on how big he gets. Should be neither a detriment nor an asset of a defender, but should play good enough corner OF defense to maximize offensive profile value. Grade: 50

Arm: Raw arm strength is above-average, velocity out of hand on outfield throws has been measured into the low-90's. Can throw, clean arm stroke with evidence of a former life as a two-way player in his younger years, cleaning up consistency of hip direction, stride length and timing, and overall feel in the outfield should lead to improvements in both arm strength and accuracy, as well as release time. Chance for this tool to be an asset for him. Grade: 55

Run: An average runner right now with rare flashes of 55 times down the line, Hendrick is likely to slow down into the fringe to average range in terms of quantifiable stopwatch times down the line. Aforementioned baseball instincts and better-when-underway speed give him the ability to be a good baserunner, though he's unlikely to be a double-digit stolen base threat. Grade: 50

Overall: The draw here is obviously the left-handed bat, and Hendrick was given $4 million dollars to sign out of a Mississippi State commitment on the hope that an impact offensive player exists long term here. The power stands out and the developmental trajectory of the hit tool and approach stand out as well over the past year-plus, and he's a good enough athlete and defender to potentially elicit value defensively in an outfield corner as well as on the basepaths. A left- handed version of Clint Frazier is not a bad comparison here, with a touch more upside in Hendrick's case.

OFP: 55
Role: 60 - Above-Average Everyday Regular: Occasional All-Star
Risk: High