Gunnar Henderson: All you need to know about the Baltimore Orioles Rookie of the Year front runner

Left infielder Gunnar Henderson may be the most important player that you haven't heard of. Fans finally got to see the 21-year-old in action as the team expanded their roster. Pundits are currently touting Henderson as the frontrunner for the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award.

Henderson was born in 2001 in Alabama. In Selma, Alabama, he attended John T. Morgan Academy. Henderson excelled in basketball and baseball before attending Auburn University in his home state to pursue baseball.

Teams scrambled to send scouts to see Henderson in action after he was named Alabama Player of the Year in 2019. With the 2019 MLB Draft approaching, it was obvious that he would command a sizable signing bonus from whichever team he chose.

Gunnar Henderson was selected in the second round of the draft by the Baltimore Orioles and inked a deal that earned him a $2.3 million signing bonus. The Orioles hadn't captured a divisional title since 2015 and were in a period of rebuilding following the recent departure of their big stars like Adam Jones, Chris Davis, and Manny Machado.

"Gunnar Henderson - Baltimore Orioles (4)" - @ MLB Home Run Videos

Henderson played throughout all tiers of Minor League Baseball in 2020 and ended up hitting 17 home runs and 74 RBIs in 105 total games for the O's respective minor league affiliates.

His season at AAA in 2022 with the Norfolk Strides was what really got management in Baltimore more seriously interested. That season, Henderson hit .288/.390.504/ with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 65 games.

On August 31st, Henderson finally got the tap for the Orioles, three and a half years after he joined the organization. Henderson made his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians.

"Gunnar Henderson just went down and got that slider from Triston McKenzie for his first career hit, home run, RBI -- the lot. Exit velo: 107.1 mph. Projected distance: 429 feet" - @ Zach Silver

In the fourth inning of the game in Cleveland, Gunnar Henderson hit a 429-foot home run off Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie. This made Henderson the fourth Orioles hitter in history to register a home run as their first MLB hit, the most recent being Trey Mancini in 2016.

Gunnar Henderson could be a game-changer for the Orioles in 2023

Gunnar Henderson finished 2022 with a total of 34 games played for the Orioles. He had four home runs and 18 RBIs. Henderson is eligible for the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award because he spent the majority of his 2022 MLB season after September 1st. Hopefully, for the O's, he will deliver enough for them to outdo big-hitting teams in their division like the New York Yankees, but only time will tell.