Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Calendar year

Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson desired to indicator just his 1st title under the Inexperienced Monster at Fenway Park on Tuesday. For one particular, he’s the only “Gunnar” he knows, and he joked that if a further arrives along, they can indication their very last identify upcoming to their shared to start with name.

But in one more way, Henderson is speedily turning into the form of participant acknowledged by just a single name. The 21-calendar year-previous has speedily taken to Important League Baseball since his advertising Aug. 31, but his track record precedes even the gaudy figures posted for the Orioles. Henderson was named Baseball America’s Slight League Player of the 12 months on Wednesday, and for good cause.

Henderson, the youngest position player to make his Baltimore debut considering that Manny Machado in 2012 and youngest to debut in MLB this period, has knowledgeable a swift rise. He entered the year as Baseball America’s No. 57 overall prospect but is now shown No. 1 just after posting a .297 batting average and .947 OPS with 19 dwelling operates, 79 walks and 116 strikeouts in 112 game titles in between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this calendar year.

“It’s just a good honor and just cannot thank God sufficient for blessing me with the skill to be in this situation and to bless me with the awards that arrive with this things,” Henderson reported. “It’s an honor to be thought of this, but the function keeps likely and this is in the long run a stepping stone.”

The groundwork started with Double-A Bowie, where he hit .312/.452/.573 — fantastic for an OPS of 1.025 — with a lot more walks than strikeouts. These numbers gained him a advertising in June to Triple-A Norfolk, the place he strike .288 with an OPS of .894 in 65 video games.

“I felt like the starting of the year, remaining equipped to set up it early and have the self-confidence going by means of the total 12 months was the most important issue,” Henderson explained. “Just possessing the excellent commence and then just rolling off of that.”

Since arriving in the majors at the end of August, Henderson holds a .269 batting typical with 4 homers and an .830 OPS. In his initial overall look at Fenway Park on Monday, Henderson clobbered the most difficult strike ball of his occupation (111.1 mph) 428 ft to middle area to break out of the to start with minimal slump of his career.

Henderson, a Selma, Alabama, native, was chosen by Baltimore in the 2nd spherical of the 2019 draft. He joins catcher Adley Rutschman and outfielder Kyle Stowers in the majors this yr — Baltimore’s first and third selections in that draft — and signifies a sturdy pillar for the future of the Orioles.

“From what I’ve viewed up here is that this guy’s obtained a probability to be particularly unique,” supervisor Brandon Hyde explained. “The fact of how he can engage in defense and the way he can deal with the bat with energy, his managing capability, we’re really psyched about him and his foreseeable future.”

Henderson is the next Orioles player to win the prime honor from Baseball The united states, becoming a member of catcher Matt Wieters in 2008. Due to the fact 1981, the award has been offered to 1 slight league participant judged by a Baseball The united states panel of gurus as possessing experienced the most superb season.

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