Is Ronny Henriquez, Like, Really Good Now? - Caretaker Exclusive

[Matthew Trueblood]

He's been a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency guy for the Twins, at most. Well, the glass is broken, and it turns out the hurler behind it might be better than a lot of us thought.

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

I'm not a betting man, but I want to make a bet. Honor system; no cheating. I will bet that, when you think "elite fastball characteristics", you don't think about Twins reliever Ronny Henriquez. And since this medium is really a one-way communicative forum, I'm going to go ahead and assume I just won my bet. In fact, you probably hardly ever think about Henriquez at all. I can't blame you for that. I don't, either. I don't think even the Twins have thought that much about Henriquez over the last two seasons.

The thing is, though, we're all thinking about him now. In the Twins' last two wins, Henriquez has turned in 2 1/3 innings pitched, without allowing a run. He's pitched in high leverage in each contest, and added 0.217 in win probability for the team across the two outings. Brock Stewart and Chris Paddack are hurt. Jorge Alcalá is in St. Paul. Louie Varland isn't adjusting as smoothly to the whole reliever thing this time around, albeit in an extremely limited set of observations to date. Don't look now, but Ronny Henriquez might be part of the 'A' bullpen for Rocco Baldelli, with fewer than a dozen games left in the season and a playoff berth in the balance.

No one asked for this set of circumstances, but as scary as the above might sound, Henriquez might just be up for the job. Out of nowhere, or nearly so, he's blossomed into an awfully interesting arm--maybe even one with upside akin to what Paddack, Stewart, and Varland offered the team at the tail end of 2023. That's an extraordinary-sounding claim, but give me a minute. I bet I can sell you, at least a little, on it.

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[LambchoP]

I like what I've seen from him this year. I wouldn't rely on him as a closer or top setup man yet. Start him in lower leverage situations next year and let him work his way up like with Brock Stewart and Sands. If we can pick up a lefty or two, we should have a decent bullpen next year.

Duran, Jax, Alcala, Sands

Stewart, Topa, Henriquez 

Varland, Paddack?, lefty

Canterino, Headrick, Prelipp, Raya

Do we have Cole Irvin next year?

One or two free agent signings to raise the ceiling and create depth should give us a good group

[NYCTK]

The man whose fastball has a 0.504 xwoba? The man with a 50+% hard hit rate? That Ronny Henriquez? Is that man, like, really good now?

No. 

[thelanges5]

Like to see us get some value from the Garver trade. He’s only 24yo. 

[Parfigliano]

He looked good last night.

[JD-TWINS]

4 hours ago, LambchoP said:

I like what I've seen from him this year. I wouldn't rely on him as a closer or top setup man yet. Start him in lower leverage situations next year and let him work his way up like with Brock Stewart and Sands. If we can pick up a lefty or two, we should have a decent bullpen next year.

Duran, Jax, Alcala, Sands

Stewart, Topa, Henriquez 

Varland, Paddack?, lefty

Canterino, Headrick, Prelipp, Raya

Do we have Cole Irvin next year?

One or two free agent signings to raise the ceiling and create depth should give us a good group

Canterino & Prelipp have to pitch more than 25 consecutive innings without getting hurt before I can seriously read anything about them and think it makes sense for the Big Club - am hopeful but also skeptical.

Irvin is going to have to do more than get 1 out to be on the club next year but if he throws OK over next 10-11 games he’ll get some invite as he’s in the 40 man now.

Would love to see Varland & Paddack committed to the Pen from the jump next year!

I think since Irvin can’t pitch post season that Alcala will be back in October - refreshed!

Stewart & Topa could be nice icing on the cake in ‘25.

Winder & Headrick provide depth along with young guys like Raya maybe getting brief call-ups. That’s 14 bodies if Irvin remains in the mix - this is assuming Thielbar is gone. Funderburk makes 15 tough.

[DocBauer]

When Henriquez was acquired, he was a slightly "smaller" version of Berrios. He was a SP with a good FB with some potentially solid secondary offerings. The thought was he might go to the pen eventually.

As memory recalls, that conversion began in full last season. Unfortunately, he also had some injury setbacks, so he didn't have a really good year, except for a stretch or two that looked solid.

Fast forward to this point late in 2024, I'm not surprised he's had success, albeit in a SSS. And he's got another 10 games or so this season to show he might be ready to contribute next year. Right now, he's not on the 8 man pen as I would see it in 2025.

Shoe-in's for 2025: Duran, Jax, Stewart, Sands, Varland, and Alcala (as a 1 IP).

Probable: Topa with a healthy knee, and Funderburk. Topa only has been a middle man if healthy, not a setup man like he was in Seattle in 2023. Funderburk has the stuff to face both side batters and be at least solid.

Possibles: Headrick, recovered and moved to the pen. Moran, coming back from TJ. Duarte, coming back from TJ. Winder, if 100% and ready to settle in to a middle man role. Nowlin, if the Twins decide that's his future NOW instead of later and get him converted and ready. Canterino IF the latest procedure finally allows him to throw 50 healthy innings of the short variety. Henriquez, especially if he stays solid to finish this season.

So Henriquez is not on any sort of "probable" list for me. But a strong finish and strong ST puts him in line to be a part of 2025. Then it's up to him from there.

Of course, there's going to be a couple fliers brought in that could provide depth at some point,  but I doubt any big $ is spent on a pen arm. And with the arms listed above, maybe they really don't need to. But it's up to Henriquez to prove he's part of the equation. And again, he's got the opportunity to do so begining NOW.

[DJL44]

14 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Shoe-in's for 2025: Varland, 

Possibles:  Henriquez, especially if he stays solid to finish this season.

Henriquez has pitched a lot better than Varland this season.

[DocBauer]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Henriquez has pitched a lot better than Varland this season.

Yes. But pure stuff? I'd bank on Varland as a fully adjusted pen arm in 2025 than I would Henriquez at this point.

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, DocBauer said:

Yes. But pure stuff? I'd bank on Varland as a fully adjusted pen arm in 2025 than I would Henriquez at this point.

Sam Deduno had great stuff.

[DocBauer]

14 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Sam Deduno had great stuff.

Varland's pure stuff is over multiple seasons as a 2 time MILB pitcher of the year award, and some quality ML appearances even if THIS season has been a weird mixed baggage year of quality and poor performance.

His previous seasons for the Twins weren't awesome, but they were solid and showed potential. His brief time in the pen to close out 2023 showed real promise in that role.

Deduno was interesting when he came to the Twins. And there was some hope he might harness his potential. But I have a hard time referencing someone from 2014, 3 years before the current staff took over, vs Varland and his potential today. Different players at different times with different staffs.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Henriquez has pitched a lot better than Varland this season.

Including while he was on the Injured List.  😊

[D.C Twins]

This didn't age well....

[Post-Concussive Blues]

The answer, of course, is no.

[exeoud]

Tonight's game gave you your answer.

[Rosterman]

He's young. He's getting experience.

You think Twins will bring back Stewart, keep him on the 40-man? 

[Linehan]

Oops…awkward 

[mikelink45]

No 

[Patzky]

8 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

This didn't age well....

Rocco gotta quit reading this stuff.

[BillyBallLives]

You jinxed him. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Oofda!

[akmanak]

This didn't age well .

[Johnny Ringo]

C'mon folks. We gotta laugh about this one.

Cheers,

 

[AKTwinsFan]

He's going to be a starter at some point, weither or not the Twins use him or trade him off for a useless player, while he goes off and wins a World Series with another team. He's good now, but could be great in a few years. 

[Muppet]

Well, now he has that complete and utter implosion on the most important game of the year out of the way. Now there's nothing holding him back.