Former Kalamazoo Growler David Hensley Debuts with the Astros
Hensley is the 303rd former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Kalamazoo Growler David Hensley made his Major League debut for the Houston Astros on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Hensley is the 303rd former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Hensley, who played collegiately at San Diego State University, played for the Growlers in 2016. He was drafted in the 26th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Astros.
In 2016 with the Growlers, Hensley played in 35 games and hit .200 with one home run and five doubles. He drove in 13, stole four bases and scored 11 times.
Hensley began his professional career in 2018 with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Lo-A Midwest League. In 63 games he hit .209 with four home runs, two triples and 11 doubles. He drove in 20, scored 24 times and stole two bases.
Hensley started the 2019 season with the River Bandits and then was promoted, after 80 games, to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Hi-A Carolina League. Between the two clubs he hit a combined .260 with six home runs, 46 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
In 2021 Hensley spent the entire season with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the AA Central League. He played in 105 games and hit .293 with nine home runs, 25 doubles and three triples. He scored 54 times, drove in 51 and stole 11 bases.
Prior to his call-up to the Astros, Hensley had appeared in 104 games with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the AAA Pacific Coast League. He was hitting .298 with 10 home runs, 57 RBI and 20 stolen bases. In his Major League debut against the Orioles, Hensley started the game at shortstop and went 0 for 3 at the plate.
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The Eau Claire Express is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 29th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Express as your favorite team.