Timing Is Everything

Austin Hendrick has always had bat speed, but only recently has he gained full control of his swing

- Carlos Collazo

As one of the most talented lefthanded-hitting amateurs in the country, Austin Hendrick’s favorite player is no real surprise.

Easy. It’s Ken Griffey Jr.

Hendrick loves Griffey’s swing, the pure, smooth stroke that so many kids grow up trying—and failing—to replicate. But what really stands out to Hendrick about The Kid’s game isn’t anything physical.

“I love Griffey’s mindset,” said Hendrick, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound muscle-strapped outfielder. “He’s always positive, always happy. You couldn’t tell if he was struggling or hitting three bombs a game.”

As for his favorite active player? That’s also easy.

“I like Bryce Harper’s game,” Hendrick said. “He plays the game hard. I like Harper’s swing because it’s explosive. I love his torque, his bat speed, strength—it’s crazy.”

While it’s difficult to compare a high school senior to a Hall of Famer and a generational talent, Hendrick does possess some of the elements he admires about Griffey and Harper.

A Mississippi State commit who became famous as an underclassman thanks to the power in his bat, Hendrick has some of the best pure bat speed in the 2020 draft class.

If you ask him about it, he’ll play it down.

“My hands are—I like to say—quick, but just let them play,” he said.

Ask anyone who has watched Hendrick play and you’ll get a more clear understanding of exactly how rapidly his hands flash through the zone when he decides he wants to take a hack.

“His bat speed is so elite. It is utterly elite,” said Gregg Ritchie, Hendrick’s hitting coach with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team.