Fellow All-Stars give high praise to 'superstar' Henderson

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- MLB All-Star teams are filled with the best players in the sport, split up into two rosters for the American League and National League. For two days, regular-season foes become All-Star friends.

During Monday’s All-Star Media Day at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was posed with an interesting question by one of the many reporters in attendance.

If he could pick one All-Star player (who isn’t a Yankee) to become teammates with for real, whom would Judge choose?

There wasn’t much hesitation in the slugger’s answer.

“Well, just watching him -- we just played in Baltimore -- Gunnar Henderson,” Judge said. “Seeing what he’s doing for them -- they’re in first place, doing their thing -- [it's] just impressive to watch at-bat after at-bat. He works his walks. He plays great defense. Hits the ball out of the ballpark. Hits for average. Great instincts on the basepaths, man. He’s a special talent, for sure.”

• 'Caged tiger' Gunnar is perhaps the sport's most humble superstar

Judge wasn’t the only player from another team to share praise of Henderson -- who has emerged as a top AL MVP contender for Baltimore this year -- during the week of All-Star festivities. The 23-year-old shortstop has clearly made quite an impression on his competitors since he made his big league debut on Aug. 31, 2022.

Some opposing players could quickly tell that Henderson had the potential to be a premier player in the league. Of course, it wasn’t hard to notice in 2023, when Henderson won the AL Rookie of the Year Award and was named a Silver Slugger.

“He’s a superstar,” Rays infielder Isaac Paredes said via an interpreter. “You can tell that the talent is there.”

Henderson has only gotten better in 2024. Over 95 games in the first half, he slashed .286/.373/.584 with 18 doubles, five triples, a career-high-tying 28 home runs, 63 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and an AL-best 78 runs scored. Henderson went 4-for-5 with four singles in Friday’s 9-1 win over Texas to open the second half.

“He’s been absolutely killing it this year. He’s here for a reason,” Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck said. “He’s showing off the power a lot more this year, 28 bombs already before the break. Wish him best of luck in the second half, for sure. It’s been fun to watch so far.”

At Monday’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby, Henderson had a brief debut appearance, as he hit 11 home runs and was eliminated in the first round. However, it was still an opportunity for him to compete in a national spotlight.

“So cool to watch him -- like just the entire year in general, and like his entire career, but especially [that] night,” said catcher Adley Rutschman, Henderson's O’s teammate. “That’s just another moment that you’re like, ‘Wow. Look at him go.’ Just such a cool thing to see.”

Henderson went 0-for-2 in his first All-Star Game on Tuesday. But he made a nifty play at shortstop in the fourth inning, when he made a nice backhanded stop on a grounder and retired the Padres’ Jurickson Profar for the final out of the frame.

Henderson was one of 37 first-time All-Stars, including a fellow AL shortstop who commended his counterpart.

“Just the way he plays the game, it’s awesome,” Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “What he does both on and off the field, the guy he is -- it’s really fun to watch, and I’m a fan of his.”