Baltimore Orioles MVP Candidate Predicted to Make 2028 Team USA Olympics Roster

The Baltimore Orioles should have a few players representing Team USA in the 2028 Olympics.

Aug 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) throws to first base in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. | Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

If things go as planned for the Baltimore Orioles, they should have multiple high-end players on their roster for the foreseeable future. This organization is currently filled with young talent, and with some of it already in the big leagues, it's just the beginning of what could be a special next decade in Bird Land.

With baseball expected to return in the 2028 Olympics, there's a good chance that the Orioles will have many players representing Team USA and other countries. Adley Rutschman is viewed as the likely starter at catcher for the national team in four years, and others should also get the nod.

Of the potential players who could represent Team USA, Gunnar Henderson might be as big of a guarantee as anybody on Baltimore's roster. 

Dayn Perry of CBS Sports predicted the 2028 Olympics roster for Team USA, predicting that Henderson would be on the team. However, he didn't predict that he'd start at shortstop, listing him as a third baseman with Bobby Witt playing shortstop. 

"Henderson is of course presently the Orioles' All-Star shortstop, but it's possible he'll be moved to the hot corner at some point given the club's infield depth and Henderson's tight-end build. Even if he's not, the son of Alabama spent his first two seasons in the bigs as a primary third baseman, so shifting back to the position for Team USA won't be a big ask. Wherever he's deployed, Henderson's bat should still be what it presently is -- MVP-caliber."

Henderson has more of a third-base build in comparison to Witt, and the Kansas City Royals star does look to be the better defender right now. That doesn't mean that he's the better all-around player, but he's a high-end defensive player at shortstop.

Henderson has struggled defensively throughout the year, but he's still one of the best shortstops in the game, if not the best. He currently leads the American League with 18 errors, but considering he's slashing .290/.376/.553 with 29 home runs, 23 doubles, 69 RBI, and a 165 OPS+, the defensive struggles are fine, for the most part.

It'll be interesting to see what the USA Team does when it comes to this. As it currently stands, they're the two best shortstops in baseball, especially for their ages. Either way, the Orioles star should have a chance to represent his country unless something drastic changes throughout the next few seasons.