"Guys that big aren’t supposed to be that smooth” – Orioles coach raves about world-class abilities of AL MVP contender Gunnar Henderson
Baltimore Orioles young slugger Gunnar Henderson has picked up right where he left off last season. After winning American League Rookie of the Year last year, he has continued to thrive and is an exciting player to watch.
It is not just at the plate that Henderson has turned heads; he has also been a joy to watch at shortstop. He has a rocket for an arm and can make accurate throws all over the infield.
Standing at 6'3" and weighing 195 lbs, Henderson is bigger than most shortstops. Given how big he is, Baltimore's offensive strategy coach, Cody Asche, was surprised by how smooth Henderson is.
"The first time I saw him take grounders, and I'm like, 'What? The guys that big aren't supposed to be that smooth and just have absolute rockets,'" - said Asche.
Henderson has been clocked to throw 97.2 mph across the infield. He holds a 90 mph average this season, which ranks him fifth across MLB, right behind Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
"I could see a lot of other GMs being envious of just like the raw athleticism, size, [and] power. It's unmatched" - said Asche.
Baltimore is in good hands with Gunnar Henderosn and Adley Rutschman. These are two young guys that have already turned into cornerstone pieces for the franchise.
Orioles slugger Gunnar Henderson on pace to shatter leadoff record
Gunnar Henderson has been tearing the cover off the baseball this season for the Orioles. Through 54 games, he is hitting .258/.354/.584 with a league-leading 18 home runs. He holds a three-way tie with Aaron Judge and Kyle Tucker.
According to Sarah Langs, Henderson is on pace to hit 54 home runs and 123 runs batted in this year. That would shatter the current record for most homers by a leadoff batter which Ronald Acuna Jr. broke last year with 41. The current record for most RBIs also came last year as Mookie Betts crushed 107.
Henderson is the real deal. His power is unreal, and he has been a reason why the O's have gotten off to such a good start. They sit right behind the New York Yankees in the highly competitive American League East with a 35-19 record.
With how these two teams look, this could be a close race and could come down to the final game of the season.