BALTIMORE — It wasn’t the game-winning hit for the Orioles, but Gunnar Henderson’s homer off Carlos Rodon gave Baltimore its first lead in the third inning of a dramatic 6-5 win. It was his 28th homer of the season, just six shy of Aaron Judge’s blistering homer.
And it was another example of why Judge, while talking about Baltimore’s lineup earlier in the series, said he considers the shortstop “the MVP right now.”
There’s still a long way to go in both the AL East MVP and AL MVP races, but Judge and many others would argue Henderson is the front-runner heading into the All-Star break.
Henderson was told about Judge’s comments on Sunday and said, “Especially coming from him, it’s pretty cool to be considered with him.”
Sunday’s home run gave Henderson a .957 OPS that ranks fourth in the AL while Judge leads the league with a 1.112 OPS, but Henderson’s defense as a shortstop may be considered more valuable than Judge’s defense as a center fielder.
Still, if they maintain their form, Judge and the 23-year-old Henderson could be in for some stiff competition alongside Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
“Judge’s already done it and we all know how well he’s doing right now,” Henderson said. “It’s pretty flattering for him to say that about me.”
As has become commonplace recently, teams often pitch around Judge.
He also walked two batters and was hit by Dean Kremer with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the first inning.
The 94 mph fastball struck Judge’s left elbow, which was protected by his pads, but it didn’t cause much of a stir, especially after the benches emptied after Clay Holmes hit Baltimore outfielder Heston Kierstad in the head on Friday.
During the three-game series at Camden Yards, Judge walked seven times and was hit by a pitch in 15 at-bats.
“His game is unbelievable,” Henderson said of Judge. “Any time the ball is in the zone, it seems to hit it somewhere hard. He’s definitely tough to throw to.”
Henderson hasn’t thrived much at the plate, but he’s already shown improvement since his Rookie of the Year season last year, in which he also finished eighth in AL MVP voting.
“It’s great to be a part of that conversation,” Henderson said, “but you have to keep doing it every day.”
