Drafted in the 13th round (384th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2005.
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While he is more established as a position player, scouts were intrigued with his arm strength. He will be drafted as a pitcher, even though he worked in just eight innings this spring. He has an unrefined arm action but generated easy 92-95 mph heat. He didn't throw a breaking ball after tweaking his elbow prior to the season; he was reluctant to work it into his repertoire for fear he would hurt his arm again. As a position player, he's capable of putting on an impressive show in batting practice, but his long swing results in a lot of strikeouts.
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Enriquez hit 27 home runs in three years as a third baseman at LeMoyne, good for third place on the school's all-time list. He threw just eight innings as a pitcher in college, but the Nationals happened to see him touch 96 mph in one of his relief appearances in 2005. He reminded them of another infielder from a small New York school with a strong arm and almost no collegiate pitching experience: Joe Nathan. Enriquez has a fresh power arm and an athletic, physical frame. He pitched just 10 pro innings after arriving late in the Gulf Coast League because of a knee injury, but he impressed Washington with his lively 92-95 mph fastball, which some scouts think eventually could top out near 100. He's still raw on the mound and relies solely on his fastball. Enriquez is working on a short slider but it has a long way to go. He was reluctant to throw breaking balls after tweaking his elbow prior to his junior season. Enriquez simply needs to learn how to pitch. If he can, his electric arm could carry him all the way to a big league closer's job, though it's a longshot. He has a chance to start 2006 at Savannah but is more likely to wind up in Vermont.
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