Sean Henry

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Mets #23 prospect in 2007
  Henry has one of the better amateur pedigrees of anyone in the Mets system and hit .481 for USA Baseball's 2003 junior national team that included Billy Butler (Royals) and Neil Walker (Pirates), among others. He has tantalized the Mets with his athleticism, but it took him almost three seasons to get out of rookie ball. Henry is an aggressive hitter with good bat speed and has impressive pop for someone of his size. He's a smart baserunner with above-average speed that plays well on the bases and in the field. The former shortstop moved to center field last year and showed excellent aptitude there. His clean routes made him look like a natural but he needs to make an adjustment with his footwork on throws, which differs from the infield. Henry also needs to stay within himself as a hitter because of his tendency to swing for the fences. The Mets were pleased with Henry's progress on both offense and defense in 2006 and he'll finally get his shot to open a season in a full-season league.
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  Ranked New York Mets #26 prospect in 2006
  The Tigers drafted Henry in the 10th round out of high school in 2003, when he spent the summer with the U.S. junior national team. He hit .481, second on a team that included future first-round picks Matt Bush (Padres), Neil Walker (Pirates) and Billy Butler (Royals). Henry opted to attend Diablo Valley (Calif.) JC and declined to sign with Detroit as a draft-and- follow, allowing the Mets to lock him up as a 20th-rounder in 2004. Though he has a small frame and will need to fill out, Henry boasts above-average bat speed and good pop for a middle infielder. He understands the strike zone but has a long swing, which hampers his ability to make contact. Henry signed as a shortstop and has a strong if sometimes inaccurate arm, but he moved to second base at Rookie-level Kingsport to accommodate Jose Coronado. Henry's future lies at second because he lacks true shortstop actions. He's immature and has to answer questions about his work ethic. He needs to distinguish himself in low Class A this year.
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  Ranked New York Mets #29 prospect in 2005
  Henry was one of the highest unsigned draft-and-follows from 2003. The Tigers took him in the 10th round, and he spent that summer with the U.S. junior national team that also included 2004 first-round picks Matt Bush, Billy Butler and Neil Walker. Originially committed to Tony Gwynn's San Diego State program, Henry decided to attend Diablo Valley (Calif.) Junior College. Detroit couldn't get a deal done last spring, so the Mets were able to draft and sign him as a 20th-rounder in June. In his first exposure to pro ball, Henry showed solid gap and opposite-field power despite a smallish frame. He might end up needing to cut down on his swing, which is a little long. It might cut into his home run numbers, but he can be a solid hitter even if his power is reduced to line-drives. In the field, Henry likely will have to move from shortstop. His arm is strong enough and he has a quick release, but his throws are erratic. He's not particularly fluid at shortstop, though he has the quickness to potentially slide over to second base. Henry has average speed, but he knows how to get jumps and takes extra bases with heady aggressiveness. How he performs in extended spring training will determine whether he moves up to Kingsport or Brooklyn in 2005.