D3 to the Draft: Brian Henry, Keystone

By John Coyle
for D3baseball.com

Welcome to D3 to the Draft. John Coyle will be profiling some of the players whose names you may hear called in the June draft. Today, we start things off with a CSAC standout who wields the tools of ignorance, Brian Henry of Keystone.

Keystone (20-9 through April 22) has been one of the top D-III draft schools in recent years, and Brian Henry will likely continue that trend this year. Henry, a 6’3”, 230 pound senior catcher from Columbus, N.J., transferred to Keystone from Chestnut Hill where last season he was a second team all-conference selection and a Rawlings Gold Glove Award nominee. Upon arriving at Keystone, Henry’s impact was immediately felt as he was named a captain by his teammates and has started off the year on a blistering offensive pace. Henry has started behind the dish in 25 of Keystone’s 27 games thus far and is hitting .389 with six home runs, 28 RBI, and a slugging percentage at a cool .700.

Stats, of course, are not what gets a player drafted, be it in Division III or otherwise. Scouts want to see tools that can translate to the pro game, and Henry has surely impressed in that department. An American League cross-checker was very impressed, having seen Henry multiple times: “The first thing you notice is the pro body. He’s got a pro body right now. A big thick strong kid who presents a big target behind the plate -- love seeing that. Especially on a guy who can run a little bit.” Henry ran a 6.9 second 60-yard dash at pro day -- he’s not Willy Taveras, but impressive speed for a catcher of his size.

To go with the pro build and speed, Henry has a pro arm, demonstrating pop times in the high 1.7 to low1.8 range during Keystone’s fall pro day, according to Keystone coach Jamie Shevchik. At a recent matchup against Gwynedd-Mercy (currently 9-13-1), Henry was timed at 1.84 to 1.86 on a cold, rainy day. Those numbers bode well for Henry, especially considering the emphasis on defensive abilities that scouts place on catchers.

Henry demonstrated an ability to hit breaking pitches with the same power as fastballs, taking a curveball out of the yard against Gwynedd-Mercy in front of a Washington Nationals bird dog. Henry’s power extends to all fields as he’s shown the ability to go pole to pole. Henry has also demonstrated good contact ability, striking out only 15 times in 104 plate appearances so far this season.

Where Henry needs to improve is in his blocking behind the plate and discipline at bat. At the dish, Henry’s six walks all season are indicative of his aggressiveness. Shevchik pointed to Henry’s free swinging approach as one of the areas he needs to work on, explaining that he has a tendency to chase fastballs up out of the zone.

Henry also has a tendency to get complacent on his footwork when blocking late in games. Footwork is crucial to scouts. It is solid footwork that allows pro catchers to keep 90-mph sliders in the dirt from reaching the backstop. This is an area that Henry will have to improve if he wants to remain a catcher at the next level. But with his size, arm, and foot speed, many scouts look at Henry as a potential corner outfielder in the minors.

Henry’s achievements on the diamond are only part of what the scouts love about him. Shevchik says Henry is the type of player you dream for as a coach: “He doesn’t do anything wrong. You’d like to have 15 guys just like him. His grades are good, he’s not going to get in trouble, he’s a great teammate, and he’s a good friend to these guys.”

Henry’ makeup presents a solid case for him to be the type of player that can make the transition from Division III to the big leagues, and the scouts have taken notice. With the Diamondbacks, Yankees, Astros, Royals, Marlins, and Nationals scouts all having been out to see Henry multiple times this year, expect to hear Brian Henry’s name at some point during the second day of the 2011 MLB draft.

About the Author: John Coyle played four years of Division I baseball at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was named to the Big 5 All- Academic Team as a pitcher. He received his B.B.A. from the Honors Program of Temple’s Fox School of Business, and later his J.D. from Temple’s Beasley School of Law. After having worked for an NFL agency and a federal judge, Coyle opened his own practice, Coyle Athletic Agency, and currently represents professional baseball players. He joins D3baseball.com to write a monthly article profiling draftable Division III talent. To contact him, email the agency at info@coyleathletic.com.