Baltimore Orioles MVP Candidate Among Most Improved Players in Baseball

A Baltimore Orioles star is among the most improved players in the majors during the 2024 season.

Aug 18, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) reacts after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are overflowing with incredibly talented young players. This is a team whose lineup is built for the long haul as they have only two regulars in their lineup right now who are in their 30s; 30-year-old Ryan O’Hearn and 30-year-old Ramon Urias.

Urias is only in the lineup every day because of an injury to 24-year-old Jordan Westburg, who suffered a fractured hand. The youngest of the starting lineup is shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is only 23.

As a top prospect, there was a lot of pressure on Henderson to become the next big thing for the Orioles. In his second full big league season, he has taken his performance to another level, building upon the Rookie of the Year campaign he had in 2023.

Last season, Henderson recorded a 6.2 WAR on the back of a .255/.325/.489 slash line. He hit 29 doubles, 28 home runs and nine triples, knocking in 82 runs. The Silver Slugger Award was won and he finished eighth in the MVP voting.

This season, Henderson has already recorded a 7.6 WAR and there is still five weeks remaining in the season. He already has one more hit in 2024 than he did in 2023 despite 57 fewer at-bats to this point.

He has set career highs in home runs (33), stolen bases (15) and walks (65) in addition to the hits. His slash line is .286/.373/.555 taking a massive leap over his already stellar rookie campaign.

The sky-high expectations that were placed on him are being exceeded with flying colors. Right in the thick of the American League MVP race, it is no surprise that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has named Henderson as one of the most improved players in 2024.

“...The 23-year-old has also improved on his already fantastic batted-ball metrics, ranking among the MLB leaders in average exit velocity (94th percentile), hard-hit rate (98th percentile), expected batting average (92nd percentile) and expected slugging (93rd percentile).

In essence, Henderson has gone from a really good young player on the rise to a bona fide superstar and MVP candidate,” Reuter wrote.

Henderson was expected to be very good for Baltimore, with gradual ascension. He has truly burst onto the scene and is going to be competing for multiple MVP awards on this trajectory.

The only players who Reuter ranked ahead of the Orioles star were Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds, Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies, Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox and Bobby Witt Jr., another AL MVP candidate, of the Kansas City Royals.