Every day it’s the identical. Triple-A Norfolk supervisor Buck Britton tells infielder Gunnar Henderson to cease calling him “sir,” but Henderson can’t assist it. It’s so ingrained within the 21-year-old from Alabama that calling Britton anything would really feel bizarre.
At this level, Britton is resigned to the truth that Henderson gained’t change. As managing a baseball workforce provides extra gray hair to his beard and head, Britton figures “maybe in a couple years I’ll be ‘sir.’ Then it won’t matter.”
It’s the identical motive Britton has seen no change in Henderson since Baseball America up to date its Top 100 prospect rankings Monday and moved the infielder to the highest of the listing. The Orioles’ 2019 second-round draft choose continues to be but to face a pitcher youthful than him in Triple-A, his OPS is hovering close to 4 digits and he’s on the point of a significant league call-up.
And but, even because the superlatives stack up and the expectations soar, Henderson doesn’t change.
“Obviously, he knows about it. It would be naïve to think he’s not looking at those accolades every once in a while,” Britton stated. “He just comes here every day, same kid in the locker room today after being labeled the No. 1 prospect as he was when he was first drafted. I don’t think any of that stuff matters to him. He just wants to be as good as he can and get to the big leagues and compete up there.”
Henderson is amongst a number of extremely rated Orioles prospects nearing the majors, together with outfielder Kyle Stowers and left-hander DL Hall, however none have a greater case to be known as up so quickly.
In 47 video games for the Tides, Henderson is hitting .295 with a .408 on-base proportion and .942 OPS. He’s launched 9 dwelling runs — a part of 17 complete between Double-A and Triple-A — and has 71 walks in comparison with 87 strikeouts throughout each ranges.
For a participant who’s dominating the minor leagues, what’s there left to work on? Not a lot.
“He could go up there and compete,” Britton stated. “But he’s still sharpening every aspect of his game. This guy is still a pup.”
There’s precedent for the Orioles to take their time with prospects, even ones so extremely touted. Catcher Adley Rutschman, whose No. 1 general prospect label was taken by Henderson, remained within the minors till he checked sure packing containers, similar to proving he might catch three days in a row. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez had confirmed he might dominate Triple-A, however a strained proper lat muscle sidelined baseball’s high pitching prospect proper earlier than a possible promotion.
So Henderson finds himself in comparable territory, proving himself on a nightly foundation with out the instant reward of a significant league debut.
“Still freshly turned 21, still very young for this level,” stated Henderson, who represented the Orioles on the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles final month. “I’ll just keep doing what I do each and every day: Go out there and try to learn as much as I can and just keep better preparing myself each and every day so no matter what I’ll be ready.”
When Britton thinks of what else Henderson has to show, he’s not left with many choices. He notes how defensive consistency is a continuing focus, be that at shortstop or third base. But offensively, nearly the whole lot is there.
Last month, Orioles government vice chairman and normal supervisor Mike Elias acknowledged that Henderson, Hall and infield prospects Jordan Westburg and Terrin Vavra have been pushing to hitch the large league membership earlier than later. Vavra was known as up in late July and is hitting .347 in 10 video games.
“Anybody who’s playing as well or as talented as the four of those guys are, it could happen at any moment,” Elias stated.
Henderson has proven he can command the strike zone, and as a left-handed hitter, his plate appearances towards left-handed pitching have improved. Should he obtain a promotion, the expectation is that he’d be an on a regular basis participant — necessitating left-on-left matchups.
While Henderson hit simply .147 with a .176 slugging proportion towards southpaws with Double-A Bowie, his leads to Triple-A have been significantly better. With the Tides, Henderson is hitting .258 with a .484 slugging proportion towards lefties.
“In Double-A, I felt like I didn’t get to face them as consistently as I have here, so I felt like that was a big part,” Henderson stated. “There were a few weeks where I’d face one at the beginning of the week and then another at the very end, and even in high school I didn’t face very many. I knew it was just being able to really see them consistently, and my weeks here have been really helpful for my development, because I just needed to see them more.”
In a late-June sequence towards the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Henderson confronted a left-handed starter in all six video games — essentially the most concentrated motion towards southpaws of his skilled profession. He nonetheless clobbered two homers as a part of his seven-hit week.
It was the sort of progress that gave Henderson confidence. As he proves that success wasn’t remoted to per week, it goes a good distance in dispelling any perception that his splits will hold him out of the on a regular basis Orioles lineup this season.
“The biggest thing is he hits the ball really well to left-center field and he’s really done a nice job commanding the strike zone,” Britton stated. “You do that, there’s no real panic when you’re facing lefties.”
Evening his splits has helped Henderson acquire traction towards a promotion whereas propelling him atop the prospect rankings. It’s only a matter of time earlier than he’s in Baltimore.
But as Henderson has confirmed to Britton throughout their time collectively, the younger star doesn’t change on the day-to-day, be that calling his supervisor “sir” or tuning out the rising hype.
“Be appreciative of what happens, but just always stay the same way you are,” Henderson stated, “and never get too big headed.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com