The Baltimore Orioles had another winning week, as they managed to take over first place in the AL East.
The Birds lost their series to the Cleveland Guardians before taking three of four from the defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers.
This week, we have an MVP-caliber player, a rising star who helped facilitate the strong week and a new player who is anxious for the new month to begin.
Let’s see who made this week’s edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
The Great: Gunnar Henderson
A six-game hitting streak, a 35-game on-base streak and four multi-hit games in the last six games will get a lot of recognition. For Gunnar Henderson, this is just a normal week and a typical day at the office.
Not only does Henderson lead baseball with a bWAR & fWAR of 6.1, but he also has a +7 Outs Above Average to shine on defense.
This week saw Henderson collect 11 hits in 28 at-bats (.393 avg). He collected two doubles and two home runs amongst his hits, totaling 19 bases and driving in five runs.
Henderson, who announced that he will be a Home Run Derby participant, is slashing .290/.386/.608/.994 with 26 home runs and 58 RBIs on the season.
Henderson is leading the league in runs scored (73) and is second in home runs (26), extra-base hits (46) and total bases (193) and third in slugging percentage (.608).
The Good: Heston Kjerstad
When Heston Kjerstad was originally drafted, it was said that he had one of the purest hitting tools in the draft.
Over the next few years, through missed seasons and medical issues, the powerful outfielder is not only getting his chance but showing why he so coveted.
Silent J played in six of the seven games this week and had his own coming out party, going 7-for-16 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs. Kjerstad hit a grand slam on Saturday, the Orioles’ 60th home run of June, which ended up being the difference in the game.
For June, Kjerstad is slashing .438/.550/.938/1.488, hitting .300/.432/.567/.999 for the year. He has collected nine hits and five walks in 13 games this season.
The Ugly: Ramón Urías
Urías might have played in four games this past week, but he has continued a trend that is becoming concerning this late in the season.
Urías did not collect a hit in 10 at-bats this week and has actually gone hitless in his last 17 at-bats. During that time, he’s walked once, struck out twice and has no runs scored or RBIs.
For the season, Urías is slashing a career-worst in all offensive categories. He stands at .217/.268/.357/.625 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He has played 48 games, collecting 28 hits and striking out nearly as many times (22).
The Orioles completed “Hell Month” with a 17-12 record and begin July with a much-needed day off.
The Birds will fly out west to begin a series with the AL-West-leading Seattle Mariners, their fourth series against a first place club in their last seven. They will then travel to Oakland for a three-game series.
Will Henderson continue his torrid first half? Will Kjerstad continue to show why he is a highly-touted prospect? Tune in next week to see who makes the next edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
Who stood out to you this week for the O’s? 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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