Edgardo Henriquez keeps making bonkers Dodgers history by pumping gas past hitters

Velocity is not the be-all, end-all when it comes to pitching, especially in the big leagues. But having a blur of a fastball helps a lot when it comes to striking out the opposition, which is the best outcome any pitcher can have on the mound. For Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez, no one else in franchise history pumps gas better than he does.

Many elite relievers have come and gone for the Dodgers, and yet Henriquez stands tall in terms of fastest pitches thrown in franchise history. In fact, Henriquez, who came on in the top of the sixth inning in relief of starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, struck out the only batter he faced with a fastball that crossed the plate at 103.6 miles per hour.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Henriquez tied the record he set for the fastest strikeout pitch by any Dodgers pitcher. Moreover, of the top 17 fastest strikeout pitches in Dodgers history, Henriquez owns 15 of them.

Henriquez has a four-pitch mix, although he relied on just two pitches (four-seamer, slider) in his strikeout of Alec Burleson on Thursday. This strikeout helped strand the two hitters Skubal allowed on base, keeping it a one-run ballgame.

This prevented the Cardinals from padding their lead in what ended up being a 3-2 win for the Dodgers courtesy of a walk-off double from Teoscar Hernandez.

Henriquez has emerged as one of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ most trusted reliever, and his incredible velocity off the bullpen can be difficult for opposing hitters to face. He entered the night with an ERA of 2.77 on the season in 55 appearances (55.1 innings), and he is surely going to be one of the weapons the team will rely on come postseason time.

The 24-year-old has been a part of the Dodgers organization since 2018, with LA signing him as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela.