Superstar Shortstop Named Best Baltimore Orioles Player Under 25 Years Old

Who is the best player for the Baltimore Orioles under 25 years old?

Sep 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) drives in two runs during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

It wasn’t the season that the Baltimore Orioles were hoping for in 2024, as they saw a significant drop in their win total from 2023. 

Even though 2024 might not have been what the Orioles were hoping for, it was still a very successful season, as Baltimore made the playoffs for the second straight year. 

If not for a plethora of injuries to their pitchers in 2024, the season might have ended very differently for the Orioles, as they were competing with the New York Yankees for the American League East crown. 

Unfortunately, those injuries ended up being too much for Baltimore to overcome, and they were defeated by the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card Round. 

While the season might have ended earlier than they would have liked, the Orioles did see the emergence of their shortstop Gunnar Henderson becoming a superstar. 

Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report spoke about the best players for each team under 25 years old. For Baltimore, it was none other than Henderson. 

“Since the Orioles moved to Baltimore in 1954, only Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 (11.5) and 1984 (10.0) posted a higher single-season WAR total than Gunnar Henderson did during the 2024 season. The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year had a .956 OPS and 28 home runs at the All-Star break before cooling off a bit in the second half, so he still has further room for improvement if he can maintain that level of production over a full season.”

After winning the Rookie of the Year in 2023, the 23-year-old got even better in his sophomore season. This campaign, Henderson totaled 37 home runs, 92 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and a .281 batting average. 

On a team that has a ton of young talent, it has been their shortstop who has emerged as the best player on the team, as he had a ridiculous 9.1 WAR this year. 

At just 23-years-old, Henderson is not only one of the best players under 25, but he is one of the best players in the league. 

Heading into 2025, the slugger is going to look to take another step forward to getting in the MVP conversation with Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. 

With two postseason appearances in a row and a lot of young talent led by a superstar in Henderson, the future is still very bright for the Orioles.