Going into the 2023 season, the reigning top prospect in baseball, Gunnar Henderson, was the favorite to run away with the AL Rookie of the Year honor.
After a taste of big league action in 2022, what Henderson put on display was electric enough to show the majors what was coming. And now it has been announced that Henderson is your unanimous 2023 BBWAA Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year.
Henderson opened the 2023 season a bit slower than many expected, slashing .201/.332/.370 through the end of May. That just made the top rookie buckle down, dig in and adjust.
June started a resurgence that would last through the end of the season. The month saw Henderson slash .320/.354/.640 with six home runs and 16 RBIs, good enough for him to receive AL Rookie of the Month recognition.
Henderson would raise his average .055 points and slugging percentage .119 points, hitting 23 home runs the rest of the season. His 66 extra-base hits (29 doubles, nine triples and 28 home runs) would pace all rookies.
The former second-round pick was second for all rookies in runs (100) and total bases (274) while accumulating a 6.3 WAR. He led all AL rookies in bWAR (6.3), fWAR (4.6), home runs (28), triples (nine), RBIs (82) and runs scored (100).
Henderson became the fourth AL rookie since 2002 to score 100 runs, joining Aaron Judge (128 in 2017), Mike Trout (129 in 2012) and Austin Jackson (103 in 2010), along with becoming the first rookie in team history with at least 20 doubles, five triples, 20 homers and 10 steals in a season.
For the season as a whole, Henderson played in 150 games and slashed .255/.325/.489/.814 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. He struck out 159 times and walked 56 times.
Defensively, Henderson amassed a total fielding percentage of .966 and totaled 130 put outs between 84 games at third base and 83 at shortstop.
Henderson becomes the first Orioles to be named the BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year since Greg Olson won in 1989 and the first Orioles position player to win since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982.
Henderson was named to the Baseball America All-Rookie Team and received the Sporting News Outstanding Rookie honor. The 22-year-old also won his first Silver Slugger Award and was nominated for the 2023 All-MLB Team.
We would like to congratulate Gunnar for his impressive season and all of the accolades.
What is your most memorable Gunnar Henderson moment from this past season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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