Baltimore Orioles Star Falls in Latest AL MVP Voting Amid Quiet Stretch

The Baltimore Orioles shortstop will have to turn things around if he wants a chance to win the American League MVP.

Aug 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) singles in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. / Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

With how well the Baltimore Orioles have played this season, it's safe to say that some of their players should be taking home some hardware at the end of the year. Whether that's all MLB teams, a Cy Young Award, or even an MVP, the Orioles should be well-represented across baseball. 

Just a month ago, Gunnar Henderson looked like a real threat to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. However, the chances of him doing so were never necessarily on his side due to how well Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has swung the bat. Judge looks poised to win his second MVP, a well-deserving honor for the best player in baseball this season. 

Henderson was right there for much of the campaign, but he's slowed down a bit in recent weeks. He only has two home runs in his last 22 games, which has caused him to fall. 

In MLB.com's latest MVP poll, Baltimore's shortstop has dropped to No. 4, sitting behind Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto.

"Henderson only has one homer over 22 games since the All-Star break, causing him to slip a bit in the rankings since our last MVP poll. But despite the recent power outage, the 23-year-old shortstop ranks third in MLB behind Judge and Witt in bWAR (7.3) this year while hitting .290 with 29 home runs, 14 steals, 94 runs scored and a .929 OPS," Thomas Harrigan wrote.

Finishing in the top four in the MVP voting wouldn't be a bad thing for Henderson, but it certainly isn't what he wanted. He's put together a ridiculous campaign at the plate, slashing .290/.376/.553 with 29 home runs, 23 doubles, 69 RBI, and an OPS+ of 165.

His defensive struggles certainly don't help his MVP case, as he currently leads the American League in errors. His defensive struggles are a problem, at times, but given what he does offensively, it's tough to be too concerned about them. He's still only 23 years old, too, so he has time to figure that out.

If he puts together a great stretch throughout the next month and a half before the regular season ends and the Orioles win the division, there's a chance he'll win the MVP. This race is far from over, despite Judge being in the driver's seat to win the award as of now.

It'll be interesting to see how the remainder of the year plays out, but for now, Henderson has some work to do.