Orioles Silver Slugger May Be Next Franchise Cornerstone
The Baltimore Orioles have a wealth of players one could associate with the franchise. Cornerstones, if you will.
Take pitcher Jim Palmer. Or slugger Eddie Murray. Or third baseman Brooks Robinson. All three could, depending on the generation, be considered cornerstones of the franchise.
Finding a player that can become that type of player isn’t easy. But the Orioles, these days, have plenty of candidates.
The Kansas City had one in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. He hasn’t been in the Majors long, but he’s already made quite the impression. Earlier this week the Royals invested big in Witt, signing him to an 11-year deal.
Kansas City sees the son of former Major League pitcher Bobby Witt as their cornerstone. Do the Orioles have one?
MLB.com attempted to find out. After Witt’s deal the site researched each franchise to find one potential cornerstone of the future.
There were only two criteria. First, the player had to be under 25 years old. The Orioles have plenty of great players under that age line. Second, the player must have already made his MLB debut, unless it’s a minor league player under a long-term deal, such as Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio.
So, no Jackson Holliday didn’t make this list. But he could be a good bet one day.
Based on the criteria, the site selected Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson as the franchise’s future cornerstone.
Not a bad choice either, as the reigning Rookie of the Year is set to be 22 years old on opening day.
Along with his Rookie of the Year honor, Henderson was named a Silver Slugger at third base and selected All-MLB.
He played in 150 games and slashed .255/.325/.489/.814 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 28 home runs and 82 RBI. He struck out 159 times and walked 56 times. He also stole 10 bases. Baltimore selected Henderson in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Morgan High School in Selma, Ala.
Sure, Holliday could be joining Henderson in the Majors soon. But, for now, Henderson fits the bill as the team’s budding cornerstone.
