Markevian “Tink” Hence isn’t sure whether his name will be called during the the Major League Baseball Draft, but he’s convinced himself to remain even keel if it does.
The excitement in his voice Tuesday might suggest otherwise.
“If it happens, I know it’ll be an exciting moment because I know all of my hard work will have paid off,” the former Watson Chapel pitcher said. “There have been some tough times where I’ve felt like, ‘Dang, I need to get better,’ and things like that. So just knowing that I’ve done all I could and did the best I could to put myself in this position … it’s all paying off.”
The 6-1, 175-pound right-hander was money throughout his high school career with the Wildcats, and there’s a chance he’ll cash in if a big-league team looks his way over the next two days. The draft starts at 6 p.m. tonight with the first 37 picks. Thursday will feature rounds two through five.
The coronavirus pandemic led to the draft being condensed from 40 rounds to five. Teams will be allowed to sign an unlimited number of undrafted free agents beginning June 14.
Hence and two other prep standouts in Arkansas will attempt to join an exclusive club if they are drafted and signed.
Only two high school players from the state have been selected during the MLB Draft and reached the big leagues since 2000. Dustin Moseley, a right-handed pitcher from Texarkana, was chosen in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2000.
In 2005, left-hander hurler Travis Wood of Bryant was nabbed by the Reds in the second round.
Hence, along with third baseman Cayden Wallace of Greenbrier and pitcher Nick Griffin of Monticello, are ranked among the top 200 draft prospects by MLB.com. Hence is rated No. 84; Wallace (6-1, 205) is ranked No. 113; and Griffin (6-4, 185) is No. 138. All three players are University of Arkansas signees, just like Moseley and Wood were before they turned pro.
“I’ve just been trying to get better and not worry about anything,” said Wallace, who was an Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps first-teamer in 2019 after hitting .514 with six home runs as a junior. “I’ve been trying to figure out what’s going to happen, to be honest, but I feel like God is gonna take me down that path. Hopefully, it’ll be obvious in the next day or two.”
None of the three had much of a chance to make bigger impressions this year because the coronavirus caused cancellations of their senior season. They have found ways to stay busy since, especially Hence.
“I actually went down to PBR Texas and threw a bullpen session to get some analytical things out,” he said. “I went down to Atlanta, too, to get some work in with a former major-league pitcher.
“It’s always good to just kind lay everything out there and fix them while trying to perfect the other things that you’ve already been doing. It always helps to learn from some of the best.”
Several scouting analysts are high on the 17-year-old, who sports a 96 mph fastball in addition to a curveball, slider and changeup. Keith Law of The Athletic has Hence ranked No. 41 on his top 100 prospects list. He noted that despite having a narrow frame, Hence’s athleticism stands out and should be enough to get him taken at some point during the first two rounds.
But if that doesn’t happen, the Pine Bluff native has a pretty good backup plan.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Hence said in reference to playing for Coach Dave Van Horn at Arkansas. “The coaches have been checking in on me, just seeing how I’m doing. They’ve been showing their appreciation and just letting me know how bad they want me there. It means a lot.”
Hence is aware he may have a life-altering decision to make soon. He has discussed possibilities already with his family.
“My dad [Marvin] basically said that it’s up to me and what I feel is best,” Hence said. “I’ve been trying to dissect the pros and cons, whether to go to Arkansas or play professional baseball if I’m drafted. Either way, I’m still going to try to get better and improve. You can’t go wrong with either.”