The 42^nd overall pick in this year’s draft, Henderson was seen as a late first round talent. Baltimore was glad to land him, signing the projectable infielder to an over-slot $2.3M bonus. Henderson’s underlying traits line up with the type of prep bat that’s prone to breaking out at the pro level: he’s young for the class (17-years-old at the time of the draft), has loads of physical projection, is athletic enough to start his career at shortstop, and has power potential from the left side of the plate.

At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, his frame likely outgrows a center-diamond spot but has ideal features for the hot corner. Henderson posts impressive exit velocity numbers because of his quick, strong cut through the zone. The present hard contact and remaining room to get stronger all bode well for the development of his power with added swing lift. Henderson could live to get a bit looser in his hitting base and avoid drifting to his front foot, but those are both small mechanical tweaks. All teenage hitters require projection at the plate, and the tools are here to develop into a potential above-average hit and power producer.

Given the inherent uncertainty with prospects this young—especially those without any pro track record—Henderson slots in as an extreme risk FV 50 entering pro ball. The best-case ceiling is a solid big league regular with prototype offensive tools for the left side of the infield. Already one of Baltimore’s better prospects, he’ll move into the organization’s uppermost tier with a strong first full season in Delmarva next year.