Edgardo Henriquez combines extreme velocity with rapid professional advancement, regularly topping 101 mph and reaching 103.3 mph. Henriquez credits hard work and faith for his arm strength. He originally signed at 16 as a catcher and converted to pitching at the Dodgers' Dominican academy. Early minor-league seasons included significant struggles and a missed 2020 summer due to the pandemic. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Henriquez returned with increased velocity, moved to the bullpen, and climbed four minor-league levels in six months to reach the majors and make his big-league debut.
Wherever the lightning in his right arm came from, he's making good use of it. Of the 83 pitches he's thrown this season entering Wednesday's game, 28 have topped 101 miles per hour. The fastest hit 103.3 on the radar gun last Saturday, making it the hardest-thrown pitch by a Dodger since Statcast began tracking speed in 2015 and likely the fastest pitch in franchise history.
The process was not a smooth one. The right-hander allowed 22 runs in 30 innings in his first season then, after sitting out the summer of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, he came to the U.S. a year later and went 2-3 with a 4.93 ERA in 13 games split between the Arizona Complex League and Single A Rancho Cucamonga.
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