The unfiltered frustration from Gunnar Henderson provided a striking look at the mental toll of a prolonged baseball slump. The Baltimore Orioles infielder’s work ethic behind the scenes hasn’t wavered. However, there is a disconnect between his daily preparation and on-field production, evidenced by his .221 average.
Henderson’s uncharacteristic hitting drought has placed him under the spotlight, particularly as the Orioles (39-46) languish in the bottom half of the American League East. The All-Star shortstop spoke about his struggles after Sunday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
“Today felt pretty good,” Henderson said, per The Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer. “We were working through some stuff yesterday, and today felt pretty good. But I mean, it’s just been, I don’t even know how to describe it.”
“Probably one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever been through,” he added. “I mean, come in and work my butt off every day, and like you said, I mean, I know it’s not a – you don’t want to think about results, but it’s hard not to when … [results don’t] show up for so long. So it sucks, it’s baseball, but yeah.”
Henderson’s performances have dipped since his career-best season in 2024 when he came fourth in the American League MVP voting. He hit 37 homers and accumulated an 8.8 WAR in 2024. However, his home run tally dipped to 17 and WAR to 5.4 in 2025.
Gunnar Henderson Struggled in Series Against Nationals
The Baltimore Orioles played a three-game series against the Washington Nationals from Friday to Sunday. Gunnar Henderson performed poorly, going one-for-13 with no extra-base hits or RBIs across three games.
Henderson managed his only hit of the weekend series on Friday. The Orioles shortstop went one-for-four at the plate as the Orioles secured a 3-1 victory. Though his offense was quiet, the shortstop’s dynamic barehanded play sealed the final out for closer Ryan Helsley.
Henderson went 0-for-five at the plate with zero walks in the Orioles’ 4-3 extra-innings defeat on Saturday. Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin dominated Baltimore’s hitters with nine strikeouts.
The series concluded with another rough outing for Henderson. He went 0-for-four, and the Orioles lost the game, 6-4. Pete Alonso and Jackson Holliday hit homers, but that wasn’t enough.
Up next for Henderson and the Orioles is a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox. The South Siders top the American League Central and are coming off a home series win over the Kansas City Royals.
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