Gunnar Henderson 2022

[Just Regular]

2 hours ago, seak05 said:

Feel as if Gunnar gets overlooked a bit on this board. He’s currently 15th in the eastern league in OPS at 20,  nearly everyone above him is already 22+ (Alvarez is the notable exception). But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hype around him here, even compared to Westburg 

My framework for these two has been a Big Brother-Little Brother kind of one since Westburg came off a SEC campus and Elias went decently overslot (peculiar!) to keep Henderson off one.

The 2021 first year in the Orioles system, Westburg 2.18.1999 for me was like his senior year of college.  During 2021, Gunnar 6.29.2001 (four months younger than Wander Franco) was sophomore aged.   If Gunnar is doing approximately what Westburg is doing on the field, the 2.3 year age delta far outshines anything else.

Fortunately the number of MLB infield openings is....not one.   I am starting to worry about his March 2023 triceps though, while wishing that three more months this good could position him for 129 at-bat kinds of things.   

These are his first real few weeks of AA, but 279-441-488 with more walks than strikeouts, and the One Shining Moment of stopping the express train of all express trains last night.    Espino will rightly be the talk of Minor League Baseball tomorrow morning as the various outlets digest the weekend, but Henderson I think will get a bit of the reflected brilliance.    In both of their cases if Weeks 4-6 (it is Espino's AA debut now also) are like Weeks 1-3, what can their Clubs do?

[Brooks The Great]

Does anyone know if Gunnar did the double gun holster after his second home run? The video on Twitter cut off right before he would have done it (as he did after his first home run).

[interloper]

On 4/24/2022 at 7:26 AM, seak05 said:

Feel as if Gunnar gets overlooked a bit on this board. He’s currently 15th in the eastern league in OPS at 20,  nearly everyone above him is already 22+ (Alvarez is the notable exception). But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hype around him here, even compared to Westburg 

I don't think he's overlooked at all. I just think everyone knows how long it's going to take for him to get here and guys like Westburg are closer. And the infield situation on the big league club is SO sketchy that everyone is just itching for the infielder who is both closest and playing the best. That's Westburg, currently.

Westburg is the guy you hope solidifies and upgrades your infield. Gunnar is the guy you dream on to be the next Machado. O's fans try not to do a lot of dreaming... lol. 

[BohKnowsBmore]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:50 AM, Just Regular said:

My framework for these two has been a Big Brother-Little Brother kind of one since Westburg came off a SEC campus and Elias went decently overslot (peculiar!) to keep Henderson off one.

Why is that peculiar? The whole point of his underslot signings to this point has been to go overslot with other picks (obviously not unique to Elias).

[Just Regular]

1 hour ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Why is that peculiar? The whole point of his underslot signings to this point has been to go overslot with other picks (obviously not unique to Elias).

It isn't really...just goofing a little bit.    Elias is so renowned here via the Kjerstad-Cowser picks for "bypassing" best player to save pennies for overslots I feel it gets lost a little bit in his first draft he paid almost full retail for Adley, then stretched (wisely, it seems!) on the very next pick.

Stowers-Watson-Ortiz-Hernaiz are a nice following group from that year, even if no Mayo-Willems type millionaires late.

If you are Raysian to the max there is no spoon, and there is no overslot or underslot, just the $$$ you choose (and are allowed) to give an amateur to get him into the org.    

[MurphDogg]

Third home run of the season. Also made a nice play at third:

 

[yark14]

Edited April 28, 2022 by yark14

[Tony-OH]

On 4/24/2022 at 7:26 AM, seak05 said:

Feel as if Gunnar gets overlooked a bit on this board. He’s currently 15th in the eastern league in OPS at 20,  nearly everyone above him is already 22+ (Alvarez is the notable exception). But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hype around him here, even compared to Westburg 

Who is down on Gunnar Henderson? Can you show examples on what you're talking about especially when you've decided to generalize an entire board. 

[Tony-OH]

53 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Third home run of the season. Also made a nice play at third:

 

3B should be where he plays 90% of his games. He's going to be an oustanding one there.

[seak05]

8 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Who is down on Gunnar Henderson? Can you show examples on what you're talking about especially when you've decided to generalize an entire board. 

I didn’t say down, I said he was overlooked a bit. And the fact that his thread wasn’t started until April 20th is an example of what I’m talking about (and I’m including myself).

[Aristotelian]

Gunnar OPS up to .898. Westburg at .913. Odor .455 and -0.5 WAR.

[RZNJ]

I think one thing that is overlooked is just how much Henderson as apparently improved/changed since last year.  This year he currently has more walks than strikeouts. Also, it seemed the great majority of his Home runs were to LF last year and now all 3 were pulled and he seems like a different hitter.  I know he ended last year in AA but he's a much better version of himself than he was in low A and High A.  The plate discipline alone.  I'd guess he's striking out less and walking more at a more difficult level of pitching. 

[btdart20]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think one thing that is overlooked is just how much Henderson as apparently improved/changed since last year.  This year he currently has more walks than strikeouts. Also, it seemed the great majority of his Home runs were to LF last year and now all 3 were pulled and he seems like a different hitter.  I know he ended last year in AA but he's a much better version of himself than he was in low A and High A.  The plate discipline alone.  I'd guess he's striking out less and walking more at a more difficult level of pitching. 

Yes.  I'm generalizing here, but last year it was almost like his talent just was better.  That type of gap happens in A ball.  This year it like he's added a more mental approach to hitting in addition to his talent.  The talent gap in AA ball is typically narrower.

10 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

3B should be where he plays 90% of his games. He's going to be an oustanding one there.

That's probably true.  I get caught up in the SS glitter and the dream of a Gunnar/Mayo left side of the IF.  

Gunnar kind of reminds me of lefty Nomar Garciaparra (minus the pre-ab ritural).

[Frobby]

30 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think one thing that is overlooked is just how much Henderson as apparently improved/changed since last year.  This year he currently has more walks than strikeouts. Also, it seemed the great majority of his Home runs were to LF last year and now all 3 were pulled and he seems like a different hitter.  I know he ended last year in AA but he's a much better version of himself than he was in low A and High A.  The plate discipline alone.  I'd guess he's striking out less and walking more at a more difficult level of pitching. 

Well, even in the offseason, there were some scouts touting his ability to pull anything on the inside half of the plate.   I remember posting the comment here since it seemed to run contrary to people’s impressions here.   So maybe this is just a case of Gunnar getting the right pitches to hit in the early going.   

As to his low K rate, I do think that’s a great sign.   But we need to keep telling ourselves that this is 72 PA we’re talking about.  He’s got another 375-400 to go.

No question that the early signs are very encouraging.  

Edit: here’s the scout quote I referenced, from Prospects Live: “Owns the inner half of the plate, looks to turn on anything inside. Does an excellent job of tapping into pull-side juice.”

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/baltimore-orioles-2022-top-30-prospects

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, seak05 said:

I didn’t say down, I said he was overlooked a bit. And the fact that his thread wasn’t started until April 20th is an example of what I’m talking about (and I’m including myself).

Ok, that's a little valid for your point, but I think it had more to do with the fact that he didn't get off to incredibly hot or cold start in the first two weeks.