Over his last 10 appearances, Edgardo Henríquez has thrown 9.1 innings, given up 2 hits, zero runs, one walk and struck out 17 batters. For a Dodgers bullpen that has lost key pieces to injury, the 24-year-old Venezuelan isn’t just filling a hole — he’s filling it with elite numbers that already have Dave Roberts talking about handing him more save opportunities heading into October.
The Run Nobody Saw Coming in September
Nine and a third innings, two hits, zero runs, one walk, seventeen strikeouts across 10 games. That’s the kind of stretch that turns a reliable reliever into an indispensable one when the calendar gets tight.
The context inside the Dodgers’ bullpen makes those numbers hit even harder. With Edwin Díaz and Blake Treinen sidelined by injury, and Tanner Scott serving as the primary option when available, Roberts has needed a trusted arm for high-leverage situations. Henríquez has answered every time. On September 6, he closed out the ninth inning of a 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals — his second save of the season — completing a three-game sweep. That night, Roberts didn’t hold back: he said publicly that Henríquez could see more save opportunities in October. He stopped short of naming him the permanent closer — there are four or five names in the mix — but putting him «high on the list» in September says plenty.
From Catcher to 103.6 mph: The Story of a Pitcher Who Almost Didn’t Make It
Signed in September 2018 for just $80,000 out of the international bonus pool, Henríquez came into the Dodgers organization as a catcher. The organization converted him to pitcher immediately. In 2023 he missed the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made his MLB debut on September 24, 2024 against the San Diego Padres — and struck out the first batter he faced, Donovan Solano.
In 2025 he earned a World Series ring with the Dodgers, though his role was limited by a left foot metatarsal fracture that kept him out until late June. This 2026 season is his first full, healthy year in the big leagues — and the numbers show what happens when that kind of talent finally has room to breathe.
On August 30, Henríquez threw a 103.6 mph sinker to strike out Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler — the fastest strikeout pitch in Dodgers history since MLB began tracking pitch data in 2008. Not the fastest in all of baseball, but the hardest any Dodger has ever thrown to record a strikeout in the Statcast era. That’s a concrete, measurable mark that’s hard to dismiss.
On September 8, two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal publicly praised Henríquez after sharing a bullpen with him during the win over the Cincinnati Reds. When a pitcher at that level takes notice, it’s not a courtesy compliment.
The Numbers Behind the Hype
Henríquez’s fastball is the kind you feel differently, and Statcast backs that up. His full 2026 line:
- 1 start and 58.1 innings in 2026
- ERA: 2.62 · WHIP: 0.96
- 69 strikeouts vs. 24 walks (29.9% K rate)
- 2 saves
- xERA: 2.35 (the ERA his contact quality actually deserves)
- Average fastball: 99.6 mph with 2,545 rpm of spin
- Whiff rate: 30.7% of swings against him miss entirely
- Opponents batting .161 against him
- Exit velocity allowed: 83.8 mph (the softer, the better)
- Barrel rate allowed: 3%
How he stacks up against the rest of MLB:
- xERA: 98th percentile (elite)
- Strikeout rate: 92nd percentile (elite)
- Whiff %: 87th percentile
- Fastball velocity: 100th percentile (elite)
- Fastball spin: 94th percentile (elite)
- xwOBA against: 98th percentile (elite)
- Soft contact allowed: 100th percentile (elite)
- Barrels avoided: 98th percentile (elite)
- Hard hit avoided: 99th percentile (elite)
The Venezuelan is leaving a mark across Statcast’s radar — and it’s the numbers, not the opinions, that ultimately validate the great ones.
