Being one of the most-publicized pitching prospects in St. Louis Cardinals’ memory does not make Tink Hence immune from the classroom of Minor League Baseball, where sometimes the lessons are difficult.
The 21-year-old right-hander blazed a trail through July after his promotion to Springfield from High-A Peoria, going 2-1 with a 2.25 earned run average in four starts. He held opponents to a .189 batting average with six walks and 20 strikeouts.
August has not been kind. In three starts, Hence is 0-2 with a 13.89 ERA, allowing 20 hits in 11 ⅔ innings. Opponents are hitting .400 and he’s only struck out 11 while walking seven.
Welcome to the school of hard knocks.
Getting to the major leagues is not supposed to be easy and Hence — if he didn’t already know — is finding that out. The soft-spoken Hence, who turned 21 on Aug. 6, discussed his recent struggles before the Cardinals opened a homestand on Tuesday night at Hammons Field against Corpus Christi.
Working on command, not just control
Hence said it’s part of the process as he faces more-polished hitters who are starting to get a better scouting report on him.
“Just really executing pitches,” Hence said. “A lot of times I get myself into a jam by not getting that strike over or not locating well. Getting my off-speed more in the zone is going to help me a lot, and really just me mentally learning to truly pitch to hitters and learning how to react to those swings.
“You’re getting used to facing the older hitters who are more advanced and they kind of have a different plan. Adjusting to that is the biggest thing.”
Hence said he’s found that he must not only throw strikes in the Texas League, but also locate them in the proper place within the zone. It’s not enough to dial up the fastball and throw it by hitters, as he could often fall back on at lower levels.
“Really it’s just learning when to use my fastball and learning when to throw off-speed,” he said. “Reading hitters and just as far as pitching-wise, being consistent. Learning that I need to be able to locate my pitches at this level.
“You need to have command over the fastball rather than just control. You can have control of strikes, but if (the pitch) is not where it’s supposed to be, you can see guys getting good swings off you. It’s kind of strategizing and eliminating (bad) pitches.”
Wearing down not uncommon late in the season
Springfield manager Jose Leger said it’s common as the season reaches this stage for players to wear down a bit physically and for pitchers to lose a bit of their velocity — especially in the stifling Ozarks heat that’s turned full blast furnace this week.
“I think for him, it’s just a growing experience,” Leger said of Hence. “He started in Peoria and did well there. Coming to Double-A, hitters here are a little more polished and they have gotten to him the last couple of outings.
“The last outing, he did miss a lot of bats as he got (five) strikeouts. But the one before he had only one strikeout and that is rare for him. They were able to get to him and his fastball and he didn’t have his breaking ball that day.
“It is about growing for him. This experience is going to help him, this stint in Double-A, and we’ll see where it takes him.”
Manager likes what he's seeing from Hence
Leger said players learn while going through adversity, many going through tough times for the first time as a pro. How they react to it tells a lot and Leger likes what he’s seen from the 63rd overall selection in the 2020 draft.
“The one thing that I like is how he recovers and doesn’t let that stuff affect him,” Leger said. “He goes about his business the right way. He takes the mound and he doesn’t feel sorry about himself. He just goes to work and tries to give you the best he’s got that day.
“The way he has dealt with the struggles he has had of late speaks volumes. You have to have that short memory. You can’t show those emotions all the time. He is very mature.”
There’s no reason for Cardinals fans to panic over the last three starts, the veteran manager added.
“With the arm he’s got, he has a good future ahead of him,” Leger said.
Hence nodded about the learning stuff being necessary, even when it’s not necessarily fun.
“Not every day are you gonna have your best stuff, but it’s kind of good to work through those things, take a step back and reset and go back out with a clear mind,” Hence said.
Hence and fellow prospect Tekoah Roby to pitch this weekend
His next scheduled start is Friday at Hammons Field in a 7:05 p.m. game against the Hooks, an affiliate of the Houston Astros.
On Saturday night, new acquisition Tekoah Roby will debut. Roby, who came over with Thomas Saggese in the Jordan Montgomery trade with the Texas Rangers, is the Cardinals’ No. 5 prospect at MLB.com.
Cardinals at Hammons Field this week
Tuesday — Corpus Christi 10, Springfield 4
Wednesday — 7:05 p.m. vs Corpus Christi (Woof Wednesday)
Thursday — 7:05 p.m. vs. Corpus Christi (Springfield Cashew Chickens jersey auction)
Friday — 7:05 p.m. vs. Corpus Christi (Springfield Cashew Chickens jersey auction and Friday Night Fireworks)
Saturday — 6:35 p.m. vs. Corpus Christi (Paul Goldschmidt MVP bobblehead giveaway, first 2,000 fans)
Sunday — 1:35 p.m. vs. Corpus Christi (Ice Cream Sunday)
Tickets — Visit the Hammons Field box office or the Springfield Cardinals website
