There’s been a lot of great players for the Baltimore Orioles this year. Adley Rutschman has continued to be a great catcher for the O’s this season, and Cedric Mullins and company have been holding down the outfield. There were also surprises like Albert Suarez, Eloy Jimenez, and Emmanuel Rivera. All these players have been key contributors for the O’s this season, who currently hold the first wildcard spot in the AL. Arguably no player has made more of an impact than Gunnar Henderson, who the team awarded him with the Most Valuable Oriole award for the second year in a row.
Henderson becomes the first player to win the award in consecutive years since outfielder Adam Jones did it in 2011 and 2012. Henderson is having an MVP-caliber season with the O’s, batting .283 with 37 home runs, 87 RBIs and 115 runs scored (fifth-most in MLB). He introduced himself to the baseball world last season after winning Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Oriole in his first full season in the league.
Henderson had a great season last year and has improved in every statistical category in his second full season. There’s still a lot of games left to play, but he’s almost guaranteed to finish top five in the AL MVP voting. Henderson has increased his average by 28 points, hit nine more home runs, and surpassed his RBI total by five. Arguably the most improved part of his game is his patience at the plate. Henderson only walked 56 times in 560 at-bats in 2023, and he’s walked 74 times this season in 604 at-bats.
Henderson’s also getting on base more and making the most of his appearances on the bases. His OBP of .366 is top 15 in baseball, and he’s stolen 21 bases while being caught just three times. In comparison, he got caught the same amount last year, but only stole 10 bases successfully. Gunnar Henderson is showing everyone how great of an athlete he really is. Henderson also shows his athletic ability on the defensive side with his great range and rocket arm. He has made some errors this year, but he’s also made some jaw-dropping plays to even it out. Him and Jackson Holliday have combined for many double plays this year in clutch situations.
It would be an understatement to say that all Orioles fans saw this selection coming. Gunnar Henderson has had one of the best overall seasons for a shortstop in Orioles history, and fans can’t wait to see what he can do in the postseason.
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