The name Henry Rodriguez is fairly common in baseball. There was a powerful-hitting corner outfielder by that name from 1992-2002, and another Henry Rodriguez currently throws one of the hardest fastballs in pro ball.
But there’s yet another Henry Rodriguez that’s emerged on the prospect radar–a diminutive Reds second baseman who’s ripped line drives all over minor league parks for the last four seasons.
This Henry Rodriguez is just 21 years old, and doesn’t turn 22 until February, but the 5’10” Venezuelan has nothing left to prove in the low minors and was recently promoted to Double-A Carolina.
A switch-hitter, Rodriguez combines the normal speed and defense one would expect from an undersized middle infielder with surprising pop in his bat. He’s stolen 45 bases in the past year-and-a-half, and followed up a .302/.337/.473 line in Low-A last year with a .342/.379/.517 triple-slash in High-A before his promotion this year. Yes, the High-A League was the Cal League, but Rodriguez also hit .322 in 2009 and .316 in 2008, so he can hit for average, and he bashed 14 homers in a tougher environment last year, so he’s got gap power as well.
Overall, Rodriguez’s all-around offensive ability, combined with his defensive position, makes him a very intriguing prospect, particularly given the statistics he’s compiled while being young for his levels.
That’s not to say he’s a sure-fire elite prospect. Rodriguez is still an unpolished player in many of the finer areas of the game. He’s been caught 20 times in 65 stolen base attempts in 2010-11 while walking a mere 36 times, and isn’t the most consistent fielder. Still, his walk rate has trended up slightly this year, and he has the athleticism to become a very solid defensive second baseman.
With Rodriguez now promoted to the Southern League, it’s looking quite possible that he could be in the majors a year from now at age 22. The Reds already have an excellent second baseman in Brandon Phillips, but his contract is up after this season unless the Reds pick up his 2012 option. They probably will, since Cincinnati plans on contending in 2012, but look for Rodriguez to be given a long look in 2013 as Phillips’ heir apparent, and perhaps break into the big leagues at another position or as a utilityman down the stretch in ’12.