Orioles Projected For Big Improvement At Hot Corner
Gunnar Henderson had an incredible first year in the Major League, capped off by being named American League Rookie of the Year.
He helped improved the Baltimore Orioles’ situation at third base. And, entering 2024, it could get even better.
Recently, MLB.com determined which teams had improved at each position group based on their moves in the offseason. To make the determination, it compared wins above replacement at each position for each team from the end of the 2023 season to what FanGraphs projects each team’s WAR to be in 2024.
Last year at third base, led by Henderson, the Orioles were ranked No. 13 at WAR. The projection for 2024 is that the Orioles will rank No. 1 in WAR at third base.
That means there’s the expectation of a big jump by Henderson in 2024.
In 2022, he played in 34 games and slashed .259/.348/.440/.788 with four home runs and 18 RBI. That was just a taste of what was to come in 2023.
Last season he played in 150 games in his age 22 season and split his time between shortstop and third base. He slashed .255/.325/.489/.814 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI. Along with his ROY hardware, he won a Silver Slugger at third base and finished eighth in AL Most Valuable Player voting.
MLB explained why it believed the Orioles will make that jump at third base and it has a lot to do with another player — Jackson Holliday.
There is an expectation that Holliday will, at some point in 2024, make the Major League roster. His position is shortstop. If he emerges as the everyday shortstop that would allow Henderson to play full-time at third base.
Even if Henderson splits his time between third and short, the Orioles are likely to see some level of improvement at the hot corner in Henderson’s second full season.
