Gunnar Henderson Makes Baltimore Orioles History in Grand Fashion

The Baltimore Orioles superstar continues to prove that he's one of the best players in Major League Baseball as he got himself into the history books on Wednesday.

May 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) hits a second inning grand slam off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

When the Baltimore Orioles took Gunnar Henderson in the second round of the 2019 draft, they likely had some idea of the type of player there were getting, but there was no way they thought he might turn what he has become during his early Major League career.

The former top prospect in baseball took the MLB world by storm in 2023 when he blasted 28 homers and drove in 82 runs during his campaign that earned him American League Rookie of the Year honors.

Henderson is turning into a bonafide superstar and someone who is going to be one of the game's best players for a long time as he is already being considered for AL MVP this year.

It's hard to argue with that, too.

The 22-year-old is slashing .260/.355/.587 with a ridiculous 18 homers and 41 RBI through 54 games, which would destroy the numbers he put up last season.

With the Orioles looking to earn a series victory over their division rival Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Henderson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning to give Baltimore a 5-1 lead.

It also put him into the franchise record book, becoming the fourth player in Orioles history to hit 50 home runs before turning 23 years old.

Gunnar Henderson is the fourth player in Orioles history to hit 50 career home runs before turning 23, joining Manny Machado, Eddie Murray, and Boog Powell. pic.twitter.com/TrJidTaErD

— Birdland Insider (@BirdlandInsider) May 29, 2024

As Birdland Insider shows, he's joining some very good company.

It's remarkable to think about the draft class Baltimore had in 2019 when they also selected Adley Rutschman first overall and fellow top prospect who has been called up, Kyle Stowers, later in the second round.

They also took Joey Ortiz in the fourth round, who they were able to trade this offseason to land Corbin Burnes and give themselves an opportunity to make a deep playoff push and go for back-to-back division titles for the first time since the 1970s.

It's clear the Orioles have entered a new "Golden Age" in their franchise's history.

Now it will be up to these players to deliver and bring the World Series trophy back to Baltimore.