Tink Hence hopeful 2023 is just the beginning of his success

At just 17-years old, newly drafted St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence made the decision to turn pro out of high school rather than going to college.

Now, four years later, that decision has proven to be a good one by Hence.

“The biggest thing for me was that I knew my plan was to play baseball,” Hence said when the annual Cardinals Caravan stopped in Cape Girardeau on Monday. “I wasn’t going to go be a doctor. My love was baseball.”

Hence was selected 63rd overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, a draft that saw the Cardinals also select Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson.

“It’s kind of a surreal feeling,” Hence said. “I think back and realize that I really had my name called on TV. From that day on, I feel like I just grew up as a player, and I wanted to go to work. For (the Cardinals) giving me that opportunity at a very young age and taking a chance, I just look at it as a lesson.”

The 2023 season might have been the biggest year for Hence and his development as the right-hander got an invite to big league spring training and also appeared in the 2023 Futures Game at All-Star Weekend in Seattle.

“I’m really eager to get back out there,” Hence said. “(Spring Training) was the first time I was around all the big league guys, so I had the adrenaline running. I was truly blessed to be around that group because that’s the dream. Just getting a little taste of it keeps you hungry and lets you know that you want to be a major leaguer and not a minor leaguer.”

Hence will once again will be in Jupiter, Florida with the Cardinals when camp opens for spring training this year, something he feels he will be more comfortable with now.

“When you get there, you can just feel the energy and the way they go about it,” Hence said. “So taking what I learned from last year, I’m just bringing it onto now and with a different mentality. I feel like it’s going to be an even better experience than it was last year.”

According to MLB.com’s prospect rankings, Hence is the No. 2 prospect in the Cardinals’ organization behind Masyn Winn, something that Hence says can bring pressure and expectations.

“When I was younger, I was always putting pressure on myself like it was game 7 of the World Series,” Hence said. “I just try to control the pressure and use it to my advantage. It can be good if you really know how to control it.”

The weekend was a busy one for Hence and the Cardinals. Along with their four caravan stops, they also took part in Winter Warmup in St. Louis.

This was Hence’s second year on the caravan, and he said he enjoys getting to connect with fans from different cities.

“I just enjoy seeing the kids that want to meet you and them having a smile,” Hence said. “Going to these cities, maybe you have a chance to empower another young kid to want to play baseball.”

The Cardinals are set to open the 2024 season on March 28 when they travel to take on the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers.