Henry Valencio’s Miami Marlins Review: Low-Risk, High Reward

Henry Oswald Valencio had a 2.79 ERA for the DSL Marlins in 2018.

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 176 of 286. For the first 100, click here.

Henry Valencio is a 6’1″, 170 lb. right-handed pitcher from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Born on May 11th, 1999, Valencio signed with the Miami Marlins through free agency on October 8th, 2016.

After coming to terms, Valencio reported to the DSL Marlins, in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League for the 2017 campaign. He only played in five games for them, striking out three and walking three over five frames. He also gave up three runs on six hits, and an opposing batting average of .300.

Valencio got a much longer look for the 2018 season, leading the DSL Marlins with 10 starts. He was 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 games in total, with 14 walks and 38 strikeouts to his credit.

On July 16th, Valencio started and whiffed five in as many innings, earning a tough-luck loss to the DSL Athletics. Valencio allowed only an unearned run on three hits, but the A’s won, 4-0.

On August 15th, Valencio had his best appearance of the season, by GameScore. He earned a 69 mark while striking out three in five shutout, two-hit, no-walk innings. The Marlins earned the win for Valencio that day, 4-3 over the DSL Rays1.

In Valencio’s next start, his last of the season, he earned no decision in a 5-2 loss to the DSL Astros. Over five innings, he struck out five and allowed an unearned run on four hits and a walk.

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Valencio’s great strength is his pitch location. He put 275-of-357 offerings in the strike zone for a 77 percent success rate. This has contributed to his more-than acceptable 2.44 BB/9 rate despite Valencio’s relative lack of strikeouts.

Most players who make their professional debuts in the DSL don’t get to the major leagues. The feeder rookie-level is filled with low-risk, high-reward types of players, and that’s just what Valencio represents. The best have a way of rising through the system anyway, and I would be surprised if Valencio didn’t join either the GCL Marlins in the rookie-level, Florida-based Gulf Coast League or the Batavia Muckdogs in the short-season-A New York-Penn League in 2019.

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