photo: Leonel Sequera (Palm Beach Cardinals)
Springfield lefty Ixan Henderson is honored by the Texas League and Palm Beach righty Leonel Sequera receives the same nod in the Florida State League.
Springfield Cardinals release
Minor League Baseball announced on Monday that LHP Ixan Henderson has been named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 11 – 17. This is the first MiLB award that he has won in his career, which began in 2023.
Following LHP Brycen Mautz’s same award last week, that’s now back-to-back weeks where the announced winner was a Springfield Cardinal. This marks the first time that’s occurred since June 17-30, 2024 when LHP Cooper Hjerpe was named the Pitcher of the Week two weeks running.
Henderson made one start against the Wichita Wind Surge on Wednesday, August 13. He retired the first eleven batters in a row to begin the ballgame while taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Hammons Field. All told, the southpaw from Fresno, CA tossed 6.2 innings, surrendering one run on one hit with a walk while striking out eight batters. Those eight strikeouts came within one of matching a career-high (completed twice). The lefty currently finds himself among the top pitchers in the Texas League this season with a 2.42 ERA (2nd), eight wins (T-2nd), 103 strikeouts (T-6th), .207 BAA (2nd) and 1.11 WHIP (2nd).
The 23-year-old Henderson is in the midst of his first Double-A season after an eighth-round selection by St. Louis in 2023. The southpaw was the Friday night starter at his hometown Fresno State, where he became an All-Mountain West First Team selection both as a sophomore and junior. He’s enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 to land himself as the 15th-best-ranked prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline. Henderson throws a four-seam fastball, changeup, cutter, slider and curveball. He was named St. Louis Organization Pitcher of the Month in April of this year.
Sequera stands out
RHP Leonel Sequera is the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 11 – 17.
Sequera, 20, pitched a season-high 6.0 shutout innings, retiring the first 11 batters of the game, and allowed just two base runners in Palm Beach’s 5-0 win vs. Bradenton on Tuesday.
In the 2024 rookie level Florida Complex League, Sequera was twice Pitcher of the Week, once in late June and again in early July.
This season, Sequera has made 21 starts with a 3.91 ERA. In 94 1/3 innings, he struck out 81 and walked 36. FSL batters are hitting a collective .249 against his offerings.
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