Baltimore Orioles Young Slugger Returns on Final MLB Hitter Power Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles Shortstop Gunnar Henderson is once again considered on of the best hitters in the game as the season comes to a close.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

One of the young Baltimore Orioles sluggers is once again getting acknowledged as one of the best hitters in baseball. 

On Thursday, MLB released its final hitter power rankings, and Baltimore's shortstop Gunnar Henderson returned to the list. Henderson dropped off the list in the last edition after appearing seven straight times. He returns to the list and ends the season as the 8th-best hitter according to the rankings. 

 The 23-year-old has continued to shine at the plate for the Orioles, even when the team has struggled overall from the plate as of late. Henderson has hit .333/.406/.633 with four home runs and nine RBI across the month of September. Although there are only ten more games left in the regular season, the Orioles All-Star only sits three homers away from 40 on a season. If he accomplishes this, he would be only the fifth shortstop player in MLB History to reach the milestone, joining Alex Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Rico Petrocelli. If he records one more stolen base, that list decreases to only two other players for a 40/20 season. 

The Orioles will need to rely on Henderson as they project to enter the postseason as the top Wildcard team in the American League. The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year will have to lead the rest of the young core in Baltimore as they hope to do better than last season’s early playoff exit. The team was eliminated in the ALDS after having a ‘bye’ against the eventual World Series Champions Texas Rangers without recording a win. 

As he chases personal milestones before the regular season comes to a close, Henderson and the rest of the Orioles will need to get out of the recent slump they are in before October is quickly here. Entering Thursday, Baltimore is on a three-game losing streak, including being on the verge of being swept by the San Francisco Giants, where they have been outscored 15-3 since Tuesday. They now trail the New York Yankees for the AL East division lead by five games.

“This year, we have to play a little more gritty and just a little more together,” said Henderson when discussing the recent woes of the Orioles offense.  “I feel like all it takes is one little spark, and we’ll get hot again.”

The recent struggles from the O’s at the plate may have ruined their chances at back-to-back American League East division titles for the first time since the 1973 and 1974 seasons, but with a star like Henderson in your lineup, don’t expect them to be overlooked once the postseason arrives.