Former Orioles infielder Mike Bordick and five-time All-Star outfielder Andruw Jones say to remain patient with Orioles rookie infielder Gunnar Henderson, whose batting average has sat below .200 for much of the season, and allow him to work through his struggles at the major league level.
Henderson entered the 2023 season as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball after a breakthrough campaign in 2022. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound infielder hit .297/.416/.531 with 50 extra-base hits in 503 plate appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk last year, then hit .259/.349/.440 with 12 extra-base hits in 132 plate appearances for Baltimore to end the year.
Now the 21-year-old is scuffling at the major league level, hitting .175/.344/.320 with a 29.5 percent strikeout rate in 122 plate appearances entering play May 12. That reminds Bordick of Nick Markakis, who hit .211/.295/.308 with eight extra-base hits in his first 47 games of his career in 2006. He hit .321/.372/.500 with 35 extra-base hits the rest of the way that year.
“If you look back at [Markakis’] history and how he started at the major league level, he was struggling for two months — maybe even longer than two months,” Bordick said on Glenn Clark Radio May 9. “And next thing you know, he’s one of the greatest hitters to ever frickin’ wear an Oriole uniform. They were patient with him, and I think that’s it. You’ve got to keep feeding [Henderson] confidence, the belief that he has the ability to do it at this level.”
Henderson went through a 1-for-31 start at High-A Aberdeen in the summer of 2021 but bounced back to put together a solid showing prior to being promoted to Double-A Bowie. Following his stop in Aberdeen, Henderson flattened out his swing, changed his stance and worked in the cage with baseballs that exaggerate hop at the top of the zone.
Henderson was also reminded during that time that there was no reason to panic about a tough stretch. Jones knows all about tough stretches, having played in the major leagues for 17 years.
“It’s a team. There are nine other players that go out there and can do their job,” Jones said on GCR May 5. “Instead of just trying to put too much pressure and show everybody that you belong there or that you’re going to take this team to the promised land, just bond together. You play 162 games. This game is a game of failure. I have started seasons very slow, but I finished the season strong and helped my team in the playoffs. It’s not the way you started. It’s the way you finish.”
Bordick sees no value in sending Henderson back down to Triple-A in favor of other young infielders like Joey Ortiz and Jordan Westburg. Bordick mentioned that Henderson is still finding ways to contribute due to a high walk rate. As such, Henderson is among the team leaders in runs scored.
Plus, with Ramón Urías on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, the Orioles need Henderson’s glove at third base.
“So what are you going to do? You’re going to call up a guy from Triple-A to fill in? And then that kid’s going to have to go through the same thing,” Bordick said. “There are guys in the minor leagues right now that probably deserve to have opportunities at the major league level, but they’re going to be going through the same kinds of adjustments at the major league level [as] a hitter like Gunnar.”
Jones agrees. Hang in there with Henderson, the future Hall of Famer says.
“If the kid’s got talent and everybody can see what he can do, it’s just adjustments that you have to make constantly every day,” Jones said. “If he’s willing to do it and he’s a quick learner, he’s going to be fine.”
For more from Bordick, listen to the full interview here:
For more from Jones, listen to the full interview here:
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