Baltimore Orioles Manager Craig Albernaz Explains Gunnar Henderson Lineup Decision
· Yahoo Sports
It is no secret that Gunnar Henderson's performance this year has been a major reason the Baltimore Orioles' season has played out the way it has. After Monday's loss against the Minnesota Twins, their hopes of making the playoffs are beginning to fade considerably.
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On the year, Henderson has appeared in 118 games and posted career-low numbers across the board, hitting .212 with a .293 on-base percentage and .675 OPS. His power has returned with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs, but he is striking out far too often and simply not collecting enough hits to justify his spot at the top of the order.
Henderson finished top 10 in American League MVP voting from 2023 to 2024, earned a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger, so seeing his numbers dip in back-to-back seasons raises real questions about his trajectory heading into 2027. While Henderson will still have multiple seasons of team control, president of baseball operations Mike Elias may be hesitant to commit on a long-term contract extension.
Despite the struggles, first-year manager Craig Albernaz has continued to place Henderson at the top of his lineup batting leadoff. Henderson has appeared there more frequently after the Orioles traded Taylor Ward at the trade deadline.
He explained his reasoning when speaking with reporters during Baltimore's current series against Minnesota.
"He's got to go. That's the biggest thing. Not many teams have a Gunnar Henderson, and we do, and Gunnar has been struggling for the results, but the process has been great. But for us to get where we need to go, Gunnar Henderson has to be Gunnar Henderson and we have all the faith in the world," Albernaz said, according to Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun.
Albernaz also noted that he appreciates the quality of Henderson's at-bats and still believes he is hitting the ball hard underneath the surface numbers. He added that moving Henderson down in the order would not relieve pressure or help his confidence, which is why he has kept him at the top regardless of the results.
Henderson is running out of time to turn things around this season. What started as a slow stretch has persisted far longer than anyone anticipated, and he has been visibly frustrated on the field at times.
He has spoken openly about the work he has been putting in to find his swing again. At this stage, finishing the year strong and rebuilding confidence before the offseason matters most, because the Orioles are still built to compete in 2027 and Henderson needs to be a central part of that turnaround.