What a major league debut for Gunnar Henderson.
The Baltimore Orioles phenom — most recently ranked the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball by Kiley McDaniel — was called up to the big leagues on Wednesday, with the team even filming his reaction as he was informed of his promotion. It’s a well-deserved bump up for the 21-year-old Henderson, who has been hitting .297/.416/.531 between AA and AAA this season, with 19 home runs and 22 stolen bases.
Then, in his second career at-bat, Henderson absolutely teed off on a slider from Cleveland Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie, sending it about 429 feet to center field for both his first career hit and first career home run.
The best part? Henderson’s helmet completely fell off as he swung, leaving what Jeff Passan termed his “glorious lettuce” flapping in the wind.
It’s a good time for the Orioles in terms of young talent. In addition to Henderson’s stellar debut, former top prospect Adley Rutschman has been having an exceptional first season behind the plate, batting .250/.358/.436 and putting up a 3.7 WAR. The Orioles are only three games out of a wild-card spot in the American League, and their young players could put them over the top.
FIRST HIT ✅
FIRST HOME RUN ✅ pic.twitter.com/Y6G6ycDiQ1
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 31, 2022