Tink Hence

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Drafted by the Cardinals in the supplemental second round in 2020, Hence saw limited action in his 2021 pro debut and started his 2022 season late with strict innings and pitch limits. The training wheels were removed in 2023 as Hence made 23 starts split between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. After an impressive 11-start stretch with Peoria, Hence was promoted to Double-A where he struggled across a dozen starts.
  
  Scouting Report: While Hence is of average height for a major league starter, he has a slight build. His lack of physicality leads to questions about his long-term viability in a rotation. He took a big step forward from a workload standpoint in 2023, making 23 starts and jumping from 52.1 innings in 2022 to 96. After taking the Florida State League by storm in 2022 with his plus fastball and three quality secondaries, Hence took a step backward in 2023. He struggled to command his fastball, particularly at Double-A. Sitting 95-96 mph, Hence’s fastball has outlier plane to the plate that is difficult for hitters to square. When elevated, the pitch is a bat-missing weapon, but Hence struggled to consistently elevate it in 2023. His slider sits in the mid 80s with cut and has become his primary secondary against righthanded hitters. It was an ineffective pitch in the zone in 2023 and is best used for chases. Hence pocketed his curveball usage in 2023, leaning into his 82-84 mph changeup with great results. It has heavy fade and has developed into his best bat-missing pitch. Hence throws strikes with all of his pitches but struggled to hit his target with his fastball. His slider and changeup are best when thrown for chases.
  
  The Future: Hence proved he could stay healthy while handling a larger workload, but his breaking ball quality backed up and he now profiles as a changeup-first righthander with fastball command issues.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Very High
  
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot bonus of $1.15 million. He was eased into his first pro season in 2021 and saw just eight appearances in the Florida Complex League. Hence was held back to start the 2022 season before being assigned to Low-A Palm Beach, where he dominated. Over 16 starts spanning 52.1 innings, Hence posted a 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 81 strikeouts and just 15 walks. After the season, he headed to the Arizona Fall League, where he worked as a reliever.
  
  Scouting Report: An undersized righthander with a slight but athletic frame, Hence displays explosive arm speed that allows him to generate more power than his build would suggest. His operation is smooth and athletic from the windup, but there's added effort from the stretch. Hence's pitch mix consists of a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. His primary mix relies heavily on a four-seam fastball with mid-90s velocity and above-average hop. He primarily pairs it with his high-70s curveball with sweepy, two-plane break. He uses the depth of his curveball to play off his fastball's flatter plane. His slider is a low-80s sweeper that looks like a flattened variation of his curveball. Hence's changeup showed well in limited usage, with good separation off his fastball. His strike-throwing is solidly average, with bouts of command issues from the stretch. While Hence is undersized for a starter, he has a deep arsenal of above-average to plus pitches and a rare level of athleticism.
  
  The Future: One of the most exciting pitchers in the minor leagues, Hence will look to take on a bigger workload in the coming seasons. If he can hold his stuff deep into starts, he could one day rank as the top pitching prospect in the game.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #11 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him to an over-slot $1.15 million deal to lure him away from Arkansas. He was brought along slowly in 2021, appearing in just eight games in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Hence saw his prospect status shoot up during his senior year after an impressive summer showcase circuit. He has a projectable body with room to fill out, and is already throwing a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and tops out at 95-96 mph from the right side. His breaking balls are his best weapons, a slider and curveball that he shows feel to spin. Both flash plus potential, and he rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that flashes average at times. The Cardinals intentionally brought Hence along slowly, wanting him to have a full season of preparation under his belt before making his full-season debut in 2022. They were encouraged by his mound presence and feel for pitching that he showed in the FCL.
  
  The Future: Hence has the arsenal to one day start in the major leagues, but he’s years away from reaching that point. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
  
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #13 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: As a child, Hence (whose given name is Markevian) was nicknamed Stinker, but his dad quickly changed it to Tink. He was a travel teammate of Cardinals' second-round pick Masyn Winn on a team coached by Cardinals area scout Dirk Kinney. Like Winn, Hence was committed to play at Arkansas.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hence has been a fixture on the baseball diamond since he ditched diapers. His stuff isn't consistent yet, but at his best it's already extremely impressive. His fastball sits between 90-93 mph but he can crank it up to 95-96 mph and get swings and misses at the top of the zone. His slider and curveball are two distinct pitches. Both flash plus and he has solid feel for locating them. He's even shown the potential for an average changeup. Hence is athletic and has plenty of room to fill out. He needs to continue to improve the consistency of his delivery as he gets stronger, but he has more upside than most supplemental second-round picks.
  
  THE FUTURE: The sky's the limit with Hence, who shows feel for spinning breaking balls to go with a promising fastball. Like most pitchers drafted out of high school, patience will be required.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #123 prospect in 2020 draft
  Yet another signee in a loaded Arkansas class, Hence elevated himself from being a solid prospect to a special one with an impressive summer. One of the younger prep prospects in the class (he turns 18 in August), Hence, who often goes by his nickname “Tink”, has a skinny frame (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) right now and a very fast arm. His fastball sits 91-93 mph and can brush 95, but it’s his feel for spinning breaking balls that helps him stand out. He throws a distinct slider and curveball and both show plus potential. His changeup shows average potential as well. With a loose arm and room to fill out, Hence is a pitcher who should keep getting better.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #81 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #26 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #47 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Very High
  
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot bonus of $1.15 million. He was eased into his first pro season in 2021 and saw just eight appearances in the Florida Complex League. Hence was held back to start the 2022 season before being assigned to Low-A Palm Beach, where he dominated. Over 16 starts spanning 52.1 innings, Hence posted a 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 81 strikeouts and just 15 walks. After the season, he headed to the Arizona Fall League, where he worked as a reliever.
  
  Scouting Report: An undersized righthander with a slight but athletic frame, Hence displays explosive arm speed that allows him to generate more power than his build would suggest. His operation is smooth and athletic from the windup, but there's added effort from the stretch. Hence's pitch mix consists of a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. His primary mix relies heavily on a four-seam fastball with mid-90s velocity and above-average hop. He primarily pairs it with his high-70s curveball with sweepy, two-plane break. He uses the depth of his curveball to play off his fastball's flatter plane. His slider is a low-80s sweeper that looks like a flattened variation of his curveball. Hence's changeup showed well in limited usage, with good separation off his fastball. His strike-throwing is solidly average, with bouts of command issues from the stretch. While Hence is undersized for a starter, he has a deep arsenal of above-average to plus pitches and a rare level of athleticism.
  
  The Future: One of the most exciting pitchers in the minor leagues, Hence will look to take on a bigger workload in the coming seasons. If he can hold his stuff deep into starts, he could one day rank as the top pitching prospect in the game.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Very High
  
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot bonus of $1.15 million. He was eased into his first pro season in 2021 and saw just eight appearances in the Florida Complex League. Hence was held back to start the 2022 season before being assigned to Low-A Palm Beach, where he dominated. Over 16 starts spanning 52.1 innings, Hence posted a 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 81 strikeouts and just 15 walks. After the season, he headed to the Arizona Fall League, where he worked as a reliever.
  
  Scouting Report: An undersized righthander with a slight but athletic frame, Hence displays explosive arm speed that allows him to generate more power than his build would suggest. His operation is smooth and athletic from the windup, but there's added effort from the stretch. Hence's pitch mix consists of a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. His primary mix relies heavily on a four-seam fastball with mid-90s velocity and above-average hop. He primarily pairs it with his high-70s curveball with sweepy, two-plane break. He uses the depth of his curveball to play off his fastball's flatter plane. His slider is a low-80s sweeper that looks like a flattened variation of his curveball. Hence's changeup showed well in limited usage, with good separation off his fastball. His strike-throwing is solidly average, with bouts of command issues from the stretch. While Hence is undersized for a starter, he has a deep arsenal of above-average to plus pitches and a rare level of athleticism.
  
  The Future: One of the most exciting pitchers in the minor leagues, Hence will look to take on a bigger workload in the coming seasons. If he can hold his stuff deep into starts, he could one day rank as the top pitching prospect in the game.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  August Update: Armed with a mid-90s fastball with a low release and flat vertical approach angle, Hence has flashed one of the best fastballs in the lower minors. His curveball gets heavy two-plane break and he&#39s shown the ability to play it off of his fastball to effectively change eye levels.
  
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him to an over-slot $1.15 million deal to lure him away from Arkansas. He was brought along slowly in 2021, appearing in just eight games in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Hence saw his prospect status shoot up during his senior year after an impressive summer showcase circuit. He has a projectable body with room to fill out, and is already throwing a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and tops out at 95-96 mph from the right side. His breaking balls are his best weapons, a slider and curveball that he shows feel to spin. Both flash plus potential, and he rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that flashes average at times. The Cardinals intentionally brought Hence along slowly, wanting him to have a full season of preparation under his belt before making his full-season debut in 2022. They were encouraged by his mound presence and feel for pitching that he showed in the FCL.
  
  The Future: Hence has the arsenal to one day start in the major leagues, but he&#39s years away from reaching that point. He&#39ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Cardinals drafted Hence in the supplemental second round in 2020 and signed him to an over-slot $1.15 million deal to lure him away from Arkansas. He was brought along slowly in 2021, appearing in just eight games in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Hence saw his prospect status shoot up during his senior year after an impressive summer showcase circuit. He has a projectable body with room to fill out, and is already throwing a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and tops out at 95-96 mph from the right side. His breaking balls are his best weapons, a slider and curveball that he shows feel to spin. Both flash plus potential, and he rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that flashes average at times. The Cardinals intentionally brought Hence along slowly, wanting him to have a full season of preparation under his belt before making his full-season debut in 2022. They were encouraged by his mound presence and feel for pitching that he showed in the FCL.
  
  The Future: Hence has the arsenal to one day start in the major leagues, but he’s years away from reaching that point. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: As a child, Hence (whose given name is Markevian) was nicknamed Stinker, but his dad quickly changed it to Tink. He was a travel teammate of Cardinals' second-round pick Masyn Winn on a team coached by Cardinals area scout Dirk Kinney. Like Winn, Hence was committed to play at Arkansas.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hence has been a fixture on the baseball diamond since he ditched diapers. His stuff isn't consistent yet, but at his best it's already extremely impressive. His fastball sits between 90-93 mph but he can crank it up to 95-96 mph and get swings and misses at the top of the zone. His slider and curveball are two distinct pitches. Both flash plus and he has solid feel for locating them. He's even shown the potential for an average changeup. Hence is athletic and has plenty of room to fill out. He needs to continue to improve the consistency of his delivery as he gets stronger, but he has more upside than most supplemental second-round picks.
  
  THE FUTURE: The sky's the limit with Hence, who shows feel for spinning breaking balls to go with a promising fastball. Like most pitchers drafted out of high school, patience will be required.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: As a child, Hence (whose given name is Markevian) was nicknamed Stinker, but his dad quickly changed it to Tink. He was a travel teammate of Cardinals' second-round pick Masyn Winn on a team coached by Cardinals area scout Dirk Kinney. Like Winn, Hence was committed to play at Arkansas.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hence has been a fixture on the baseball diamond since he ditched diapers. His stuff isn't consistent yet, but at his best it's already extremely impressive. His fastball sits between 90-93 mph but he can crank it up to 95-96 mph and get swings and misses at the top of the zone. His slider and curveball are two distinct pitches. Both flash plus and he has solid feel for locating them. He's even shown the potential for an average changeup. Hence is athletic and has plenty of room to fill out. He needs to continue to improve the consistency of his delivery as he gets stronger, but he has more upside than most supplemental second-round picks.
  
  THE FUTURE: The sky's the limit with Hence, who shows feel for spinning breaking balls to go with a promising fastball. Like most pitchers drafted out of high school, patience will be required.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: As a child, Hence (whose given name is Markevian) was nicknamed Stinker, but his dad quickly changed it to Tink. He was a travel teammate of Cardinals' second-round pick Masyn Winn on a team coached by Cardinals area scout Dirk Kinney. Like Winn, Hence was committed to play at Arkansas.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hence has been a fixture on the baseball diamond since he ditched diapers. His stuff isn't consistent yet, but at his best it's already extremely impressive. His fastball sits between 90-93 mph but he can crank it up to 95-96 mph and get swings and misses at the top of the zone. His slider and curveball are two distinct pitches. Both flash plus and he has solid feel for locating them. He's even shown the potential for an average changeup. Hence is athletic and has plenty of room to fill out. He needs to continue to improve the consistency of his delivery as he gets stronger, but he has more upside than most supplemental second-round picks.
  
  THE FUTURE: The sky's the limit with Hence, who shows feel for spinning breaking balls to go with a promising fastball. Like most pitchers drafted out of high school, patience will be required.