Fastball

Baltimore Orioles' Leadoff Hitter Assumes No. 2 Spot in Franchise Record Books

The Baltimore Orioles pounded Philadelphia Phillies' ace Zack Wheeler on Sunday as leadoff man Gunnar Henderson took the No. 2 spot in an impressive section of the O's history books.
Brady Farkas|
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) hits a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) hits a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16. | Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

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Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles pounded the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon by a score of 8-3, getting to Phillies' ace Zack Wheeler for eight earned runs over just 4.1 innings.

It's something the Orioles do routinely, making life difficult for opposing starters, as they have one of the deepest and most relentless lineups in baseball.

One of the guys most responsible for that relentlessness is leadoff man Gunnar Henderson, who homered as the first batter in the Orioles' half of the first inning.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Henderson is now in the No. 2 spot in the O's history books with that blast:

most HR out of leadoff spot in team’s first 71 games of a season:

1996 Brady Anderson: 25
2024 Gunnar Henderson: 22

most HR in a season out of leadoff spot: 41, 2023 Ronald Acuña Jr.

Henderson, who won the Rookie of the Year in 2023, could very well challenge for the American League MVP this season. He's hitting .274 with 22 homers, 49 RBI and nine stolen bases. He has a .958 OPS and is accomplishing all of this at the young age of 22.

The O's won 101 games last season and advanced to the ALDS before losing to the Texas Rangers. The defending American League East champs are currently 47-24 and trail the New York Yankees by 1.5 games in the division this year. They do currently occupy the top wild card spot in the American League, as they own the second-best record in the AL.

The O's will open a huge series with the Yankees on Tuesday night in New York.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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