Who is David Hensley? This 2022 World Series champ aims for comeback with Detroit Tigers
David Hensley reached the pinnacle of professional baseball in 2022, winning the World Series with the Houston Astros.
A lot has changed in three years.
Hensley — a right-handed hitting utility player — signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and reported to minor league camp in 2025 spring training, putting him on track to join Triple-A Toledo.
"Just trying to find somewhere to hang out for a little while," said Hensley, who has played 69 games in parts of three MLB seasons. "I think there's a lot of opportunity here to show that I can play a versatile role."
This spring, Hensley was not in the big-league clubhouse but joined the Tigers for 12 games as an extra player, hitting .444 (4-for-9) with five walks and one strikeout across 14 plate appearances. Notably, the 28-year-old has played 19 innings at first base and 17 innings at third base, without appearing at any other position.
The Tigers value Hensley for his ability to play multiple positions, his disciplined approach to swing at pitches within the strike zone and his World Series experience.
Hensley recorded two hits in the 2022 World Series, hitting seventh in the Astros' lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies, with a single off Ranger Suárez in Game 3 and a single off Zach Eflin in Game 5.
"He's not in big-league camp," manager A.J. Hinch said, "but we have to keep in mind he's also not too far removed from batting in the middle of the order in a World Series, so he can do some things with the bat. ... He has some adjustments to make."
So, Hensley has spent spring training making adjustments with the Tigers' player development department, then joining the Tigers to implement those adjustments in games.
The key adjustment?
Hensley is refining his approach to hit for more power.
"I'm trying to make some adjustments to my approach," Hensley said. "Maybe start leaning more towards the power and not worry about making outs, flying out. Getting myself in a better opportunity to do damage."
Since the World Series, Hensley has bounced between the Triple-A and MLB levels, spending more time in the minors than the big leagues over the past two seasons.
He has hit .188 with three home runs, 21 walks and 58 strikeouts in his 69-game MLB career, spanning 46 games for the Astros (2022-23) and 23 games for the Miami Marlins (2024). In his Triple-A career, he is a .257 hitter with a .797 OPS across 250 games.
"It's been rough the last couple years — mentally, going up and down, struggling, not finding much success," Hensley said.
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A business trip to the Dominican Republic reminded Hensley of his love for the game, playing for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League during MLB's 2024-25 offseason.
He was an everyday player there.
"You don't really get a lot of time in the big leagues, going up and down, coming off the bench," Hensley said. "It's really hard to work on approach day in and day out. Going down there, getting to play every day, I've made some adjustments and had some success, so I'm trying to roll it into this year.
Hensley, who turns 29 in late March, hit .288 with 16 walks and 22 strikeouts over 22 games for Tigres del Licey, though he did not homer. He played right field, left field and first base, further showcasing his defensive versatility.
Not only did Hensley improve his on-field performance, but he also grew as a person. His mindset is stronger than it has been in years, probably since winning the 2022 World Series with the Astros.
"I worked on myself, like maturing," Hensley said. "It's been a learning experience over the last few years. Going down there, you don't have anybody to lean on. You're in a different world by yourself. You learn quick that it's more fun to be happy at the end of the day than it is to be upset."
After that, Hensley landed with the Tigers of Detroit.
Hinch believes Hensley — who has never hit more than 11 home runs in a season — possesses enough power potential to refine his approach for more damage.
The numbers, however, suggest limited power: Hensley has hit a home run once every 62 plate appearances in the majors and once every 54 plate appearances in the minors.
"He gets caught in between sort of the old-school true hitter, chasing batting average, and a little bit of the damage," Hinch said, "but the zone control is really good. He's gotten caught in the middle of his offensive identity over the last couple of seasons."
Hensley needs to unlock his power.
That's what he's working on in minor league camp.
If he finds an approach that sticks, Hensley could work his way back from Triple-A to the Tigers — three years after winning the 2022 World Series with the Astros as a rookie.
"It's been a learning curve, for sure," Hensley said. "I mean, 2022 happened really fast for me. I wasn't expecting to play in the big leagues that year. I got an opportunity to come up and had success, and things turned out the way it did. I'm forever grateful for that opportunity. But I think it was such a high that coming back down in 2023, it was a struggle. I got exposed a little bit.
"It's been a grind mentally, but I've matured over the last few years. I understand myself as a baseball player and what I can do to help teams win. I'm not trying to put too much pressure on myself or trying to fit too big of a role. I'm trying to understand what teams see in me and what I can do to help them."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: David Hensley, 2022 World Series champ, aims for Detroit Tigers rally
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