Why Gunnar Henderson needs 'offseason makeover' for Orioles

There's no denying this season has been a rough one for Gunnar Henderson. 

The Baltimore Orioles shortstop just doesn't look like the same caliber of player who produced 8.8 bWAR in 2024. 

Not even close. 

Henderson's bWAR is down to 2.7 in 2026 -- a fine season for an everyday shortstop on a contending team.

But before this season, the 25-year-old was viewed as one of the top offensive shortstops in baseball.

His .703 OPS is 97 points below his career average, and a 99 OPS+ indicates he's performed one percent worse than the average league hitter at the plate. 

A glaring problem for the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year? Fastballs. 

"He's also hitting just .168 against four-seam fastballs, 132nd out of 136 qualified hitters," ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote. "Henderson will need some kind of offseason swing and approach makeover for next season." 

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If there's a pitch a star player at the top of the lineup should crush, it's a fastball. That hasn't been the case for Henderson in 2026. 

Despite a down year, Henderson has managed 23 home runs while ranking in the 82nd percentile (+2) in outs above average on defense. 

Still, his struggles are one of the main reasons the Orioles are fighting for their postseason lives. 

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