Gunnar Henderson Wins 2023 American League Rookie of the Year
Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson won the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year Award Monday, as Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee placed second and Red Sox infielder Triston Casas finished third.
Henderson, who won the award unanimously, made his MLB debut last September and got a taste of the big leagues without losing his rookie status. During that time, he hit .259/.348/.440 with a 128 wRC+. The Orioles made a strong push this year to end their postseason drought and Henderson played a big role in that, clobbering 28 home runs with a .259/.348/.440 slash line and a 123 wRC+.
Henderson was able to split time between shortstop and third place and played well at both positions, posting a 6.2 rWAR. His contributions this year helped the Orioles win 101 games and win the AL East.
Similar to Corbin Carroll, Henderson earned his team another draft pick as he finished top two in Rookie of the Year voting during his pre-arbitration seasons. An already loaded team with young talent can now add more firepower. Henderson was picked No. 42 overall by the Orioles in 2019 and they now have three of the first 38 picks in this year’s draft, partially thanks to him.
Similar to the Diamondbacks, the Orioles have a bright future ahead of them. Locking up young guys like Adley Rutschman and Henderson will be key as they both play such important positions.
Although this team was swept by the Rangers in the divisional round, there should be a lot of optimism. The draft and Baltimore’s loaded farm system has benefitted them so far, and with a little more experience, a deep playoff run is inevitable. The Orioles have always played in a tough division and they silenced their critics this year by outplaying their rivals.
With a good manager like Brandon Hyde and more young talent on the way, the Orioles are sitting pretty for the future.
