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Orioles' star is one of MLB's best players under the age of 25

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The 2025 season was a disappointing one for the Baltimore Orioles. They came into the campaign with a lot of optimism, viewed by many as a legitimate playoff team in the American League and a potential World Series threat if things fell their way.

Ultimately, nothing went their way, especially early in the year. The hole they dug themselves in was too deep to climb out of, leaving them in a shocking position as sellers.

One of the reasons that the Orioles were in this position was that their lineup was unable to live up to expectations. With their struggles and the pitching staff being worse than people imagined, things spiraled quickly.

However, things could get back on track rather rapidly for the franchise. There is a lot of talent on the roster, and some better luck in the injury department would certainly change their fortunes.

Orioles have one of best young players in baseball with Gunnar Henderson

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A player who will assuredly be leading the charge is shortstop Gunnar Henderson. He was highlighted by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently as being the best player under 25 years old on the Orioles, but it would have been appropriate to take things a step further.

It is not a stretch to say Henderson is one of the best players under the age of 25 in the entire sport. When taking a look at his resume this far in his career, a strong argument can be made.

In 2025, he produced a .274/.349/.438 slash line with 17 home runs, 34 doubles and 68 RBI in 154 games; he also stole 30 bases while accumulating an impressive 5.4 bWAR. The doubles and stolen bases were both career highs.

Despite that, this was the worst offensive season of Henderson’s career, registering an OPS+ of 121, which he has outperformed every previous season.

Gunnar Henderson has produced insane numbers for Orioles

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What he produced in 2025, which includes a slow start as he knocked off the rust and worked back from injury following an abbreviated spring training, would be a career year for most. But for him, it was the least impactful he has been thus far in a single year.

When he won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2023, he had a bWAR of 6.1 and an OPS+ of 125. He finished eighth in AL MVP voting that year.

He took things to another level in 2024. Henderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2024, with a 155 OPS+ and an incredible 9.1 bWAR. He also earned his first trip to the All-Star Game that year, hitting a career-best 37 home runs.

For his career, spanning 497 games and 2,124 plate appearances, he has compiled 21.5 bWAR and has an OPS+ of 134. The fact that Henderson's still-very productive 2025 was easily his weakest campaign so far speaks volumes about his talent, past work, and potential to improve even further.

Not turning 25 until next June, he is one of the best building blocks in MLB and is going to earn himself a ton of money in the near future.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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