After selecting right-hander Mason Englert in the MLB phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft, the Detroit Tigers added another pitcher — right-handed reliever Layne Henderson — from the Houston Astros in the minor-league phase.
Henderson, a former 30th-round pick, joins the Tigers after four seasons with the Astros. Unlike the MLB phase, players selected in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft aren’t subject to roster restrictions with their new organization.
The 26-year-old could pitch in Triple-A Toledo to start the 2023 season.
“It’s never a bad thing to be wanted,” Henderson said Dec. 11. “It gives me confidence, especially with them, that they see something in me. It makes me want to work even harder and try to prove them right.”
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Henderson posted a 3.54 ERA with 24 walks and 68 strikeouts over 53⅓ innings in 34 games last season between Double-A Corpus Christi (28 games) and Triple-A Sugar Land (six games). He averaged 4.1 walks and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
“It’s been a little bit easier to focus when I need to focus and lock in when I need to lock in,” Henderson said of his role as a relief pitcher. “I expect my name to get called every day. I was in long relief for the Astros the last two years. I can extend if I need to. Whatever the Tigers need, I’m ready to commit to it and do it.”
Here’s what Henderson told the Free Press earlier this week about his career with the Astros, trust in his split-changeup and joining the Tigers in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft, with questions and answers edited for clarity and length:
What was it like finding out you were selected in the Rule 5 draft?
“I wasn’t expecting anything. I was kind of following it, but not really. Not too interested, just seeing if anybody was taken that I would know. But it was a really, really pleasant surprise finding out. I was in the same room with my dad. We were just happy, excited and yelling. It was cool.”
How about being a 30th-round draft pick in the 2018 draft out of Azusa Pacific University?
“The round doesn’t tell the whole story. It doesn’t matter who it is. You pick the person who you feel is going to be the best, and they’re going to work their butt off. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, just prove everyone wrong. It doesn’t matter what round. It’s how hard you work. That doesn’t define you as a ballplayer at all. I’m trying to make an impact this spring and prove (the Tigers) right.”
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What are your strengths as a pitcher?
“The fastball is my best pitch. I have a lot of hop. That’s what the Astros were always telling me about the spin efficiency. That’s the new way of pitching, and my build and fastball play right into that. A lot of heaters at the top of the zone with good ride and a lot of swings and misses. My changeup is definitely my best secondary pitch. It’s more of a split-change, I’ve always been told. My slider is trying to come together a little bit more.”
What did you learn from the Astros?
“I learned a lot. They breed good pitching over there. I have the utmost respect for the Astros’ organization. They treated me so well for the five years I was with them. Nothing but respect to them. They made me how I am today. They broke me down and went at it. The analytic side is amazing over there. … The proof is in the pudding. They breed all the good pitchers out there in the big leagues, and I’m trying to get there, so I honed in on whatever they told me.”
Can you break down your arsenal?
“I have to establish the fastball first. I definitely try to establish that whenever I come in, and then the split is my pitch. I can throw that in any count. I can land it (in the strike zone), and I can throw it for swings and misses. The slider has been the work-on pitch right now. And I have a curveball, predominately for lefties, but the curveball is more of a landing pitcher to show you I have something other than a slider as a breaking ball.”
How do those pitches play?
“I can throw the fastball to both sides of the plate, to righties and lefties. The split is the same thing. For the righties, I would probably go for the slider because it’s not my best pitch and I don’t want to leave that in the inner part of the plate to a lefty because it’s not my predominant pitch. And then, the curveball is mainly to lefties for swing-and-miss or in an 0-0 (count).”
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You throw the slider to right-handed hitters. How has that pitch evolved in the minor leagues and where would you like to take it?
“That’s the one I definitely need to hone in more, but I definitely like it to righties more because I can miss more outer part of the plate and not have to worry about hitting somebody like a lefty. It’s not as good of a pitch, so I don’t trust it as much as my splitter. It’s definitely a pitch I need to work on.”
So, the changeup is a splitter?
“It’s like a split-change, I’ve always been told. Kind of like (Kevin) Gausman from the Blue Jays. I’ve been throwing it since I was probably 12-13 (years old). One of my old pitching coaches taught it to me. I could never throw a solid circle changeup because my arm angle is so far over the top. So I felt the split, if I throw it even higher over the top, it gets that tumbling action and falls off the table a lot better. I can pair it well with my fastball up in the zone.”
How confident are you in the split-change and how much do you think that played into the Tigers adding you to the organization?
“I can throw it any time, any count. Whenever the catcher puts it down, I’m happy to throw it. I definitely think (the split-changeup) played a big part, just how well it’s played. I’ve seen stats on it. It’s a good pitch. I always want to get better, but that’s the pitch I go to the most.”
You like pitching up in the zone with your fastball. What are the characteristics of your heater?
“Lower-90s, between 90-94 (mph). I get a lot of swings and misses out of the hand because of my extension (6-foot-4) and the way I spin the ball being so far over the top. My spin efficiency is crazy. I try to throw it to the top of the catcher’s mask every time. That’s what (the Astros) have been telling me.”
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What all goes into repeating your over-the-top delivery?
“I’ve always been taught to get off the mound as fast as possible. That’s the biggest thing. Extending out has been the biggest help for that fastball, too, because I’m cutting down on time the hitter can pick up on the ball, and the less time the hitter can pick up on the ball, the more advantage to me. It’s been working for me. It’s definitely not a cookie-cutter type of delivery. A lot of limbs going everywhere. But it’s just the high leg kick, glove tap and straight over the top. I try to get as much distance from the rubber to the catcher as possible.”
I would assume that delivery helps with tunneling the fastball and split-changeup.
“Exactly, that’s the thing. And I’m not trying to fix it because it’s been working for me so far. I’m not going to change what I do. They picked me for a reason, and obviously, they like what I do. It’s nice to understand that’s what they like about me, that I’m a little bit different.”
You’ve talked about the fastball, split-changeup and developing slider. How do you feel about your ability to command those pitches?
“That’s been my bugaboo, the walks. I feel like I’ve been better the last couple years trying to understand the zone and land more pitches, and not trying to make everybody swing-and-miss at everything. I’m trying to pitch better and be around the zone more.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.