With the Mt. Diablo Devils showing signs of life in early May, GM Jason Watson was actively seeking help in the rotation. Fresh off 45.0 and 17.0 starts to lower his ERA to 4.03, Kyle Hendricks stood out as the best available arm on a market that was limited to the only seller in the league, the St. Joseph Jokers.
The clubs reached a deal on May 19th, sending Hendricks to the Devils for prospect Gunnar Henderson and a 2023 3rd Round Pick. Off to a hot start in the Minors, Henderson had entered the season mainly slotted in the middle of Top 100 lists across the industry.
A Minor League promotion and mid-season updates to prospect lists saw Henderson make the biggest jump of any young player in baseball, topping some lists to complete the season as the top young infielder in all of the Minors. Before being called up to Baltimore on Aug. 31, Henderson hit .297/.416/.531 with 19 homers and 22 stolen bases in 112 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He was one of 111 players to get at least 500 plate appearances between the Minors’ two highest levels, and he finished in the top 10 in OBP, slugging, OPS and wRC+ (154).
He's now firmly in the Jokers 2023 plans as one of the top activation candidates in the RDBL, fresh off being named MLB Pipeline and Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year.
Henderson leads a young group of Jokers prospects that looks to be the next core of a contender for GM Rick Steen. Kyle Wright, Joey Bart, MJ Melendez, JJ Bleday, Trevor Larnach and Henderson all look primed to join the Active Roster coupled with nine selections in the Top 44 of the 2023 Reserve Draft.
Meanwhile, Hendricks would go on to make just eight starts for the Devils, posting a 5.67 ERA with 41.0 points before being shut down for the season with shoulder soreness and is expected to be released this off-season.
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