Once a Texan, always a Texan. All Fort Worth native Blair Henley had to know during the 2016 MLB Draft was that it was the New York Yankees who called the high school senior’s name in the 22nd round. That was enough to have him turn tail and head south to the University of Texas at Austin’s Forty Acres (plus, the Yanks weren’t offering what would keep Henley from attending college).

The Houston Astros selected the junior Longhorn right-hander in the seventh round of the 2019 draft (226th overall), and he signed his $150,000 bonus June 12, $38,900 below his position’s slot value. Henley was the first of three Longhorns to be drafted in the annual three-day event.

A three-year starting pitcher for the Longhorns, the 6’3″, 190-pound Henley made 39 career starts and logged 222 innings in his UT career. He recorded a combined 3.65 ERA and 173 strikeouts.

Accustomed to eating up innings, Henley led the Longhorns with a 6-4 record on the mound this past season and finished the year with a 3.54 ERA in 73.2 innings. He tossed seven quality starts and pitched through the sixth inning in nine of his 13 starts.

The 22-year-old gave up only two home runs in his 2019 appearances, a mark which was among the best for the Longhorns’ pitchers who started multiple games.

Henley also got valuable experience against wood bats pitching in the Cape Cod League in 2018. He posted a 1-0 record with a 4.05 ERA and more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Yellow Jacket Raises Squirrel Named “Bear”

Henley attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, the alma mater of pop singer John Denver and former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro.

Named a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American following his senior season at Arlington Heights, he once threw three consecutive no-hitters for the Yellow Jackets.

While in high school, Henley adopted a bizarre hobby and managed to become friends to at least a dozen Forth Worth area squirrels. In fact, one might’ve labeled him an actual Texas rancher, except these critters didn’t have horns, long or otherwise.

“I raised twelve squirrels in three years,” Henley proudly told TexasSports.com in 2017. “I was going to breakfast one day, and there was a little baby squirrel chasing me. I was really afraid to touch it, pick it up. And then, it looked so cute, so I just picked it up, and in about two minutes, it crawled up my arm and fell asleep on my shoulder.

“After that, I had people find squirrels and give them to me, and we sort of rehabbed them, and we raised them with whatever they needed, then we released them out to our trees.”

Scouting Report

Perfect Game filed this assessment three years ago, while Henley was still at Arlington Heights: “Standard leg raise delivery with some back lean, high 3/4’s arm slot, arm is clean and fast. Repeats his release point well, low effort release.

“Very steady 87-89 mph fastball, occasional darting life, works fastball to spots. Nasty hard slider is a potential plus pitch, has power and a sharp, deep biting action. Has some deception and the ball seemed to get on hitters quickly. High ceiling prospect with lots of present stuff and skill.”

Henley just touched down in Florida at Houston’s West Palm Beach spring facility, also home to the rookie Gulf Coast League (GCL) Astros. He’ll work out there with a few assignments before moving up to Houston’s Tri-City ValleyCats short season Class A affiliate.