Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) checks on New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) after a collison in the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Scout blames Gunnar Henderson's Orioles struggles on playing for 'bad team'

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Baltimore Orioles' disappointing 2025 season can't be pinned on one person or player. In fact, there's a case to be made that just about everybody in the organization is to blame.

In hindsight, the front office could (and probably should) have done more to bolster the roster during last offseason, especially the pitching staff. Baltimore's coaches clearly didn't do enough to get this club prepared for the regular season, given how poorly they performed out of the gates. And many of the players didn't perform even close to their capabilities.

The struggling Orioles star that confused fans the most was shortstop Gunnar Henderson. In 2024, Henderson was the second-best offensive shortstop in baseball according to OPS (his .893 OPS was only second to Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt), and his 37 home runs were more than anybody else at the position.

But Henderson's offensive output saw some serious regression during his 2025 campaign. His OPS dipped to .787, which was No. 9 among qualified MLB shortstops, and his home runs plummeted to 17 despite Henderson essentially remaining healthy for the entire season.

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Scout Makes Interesting Assessment as Reason for Gunnar Henderson's Struggles

While Henderson was far from the only Orioles player whose offense regressed, his struggles are sparking the most concern because of his immense value to the franchise. However, one anonymous scout offered up a unique take on why Henderson's season went the way it did, which was conveyed to MASN's Roch Kubatko and included in an October 15 article.

“I think Gunnar’s a very good player. I think Gunnar is kind of in that situation where like it was late in the year and he’s playing for a bad team," the scout said to Kubatko.

"You and I both know, and you’ve seen plenty of bad teams there, he still performed but what was the difference in energy level? For me, I think Gunnar, it’s energy because it was a bad team. He’s gonna be fine," he added.

A scout's take on the current state of the Orioles. https://t.co/bpnCPeWheH pic.twitter.com/RVWcijpmm5
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) October 15, 2025

There's no question that Baltimore wasn't a good team. And Henderson's successful 2023 and 2024 regular seasons (both of which came when the Orioles were an objectively good team) would perhaps help prove this scout's point.

That said, countless players have put together solid seasons despite playing on a "bad team". So, blaming Henderson's season on the Orioles being bad is going to raise some eyebrows from within the fan base.

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

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