Gunnar making case to match Cal Ripken Jr.?

OAKLAND -- Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman had the kind of rookie season in 2022 that teams dream about, living up to, and even exceeding, the hype of an overall No. 1 Draft pick.

In any other season, he might have been the runaway American League Rookie of the Year. Rutschman’s misfortune was debuting at the same time Julio Rodríguez was dominating in Seattle.

If luck and timing were Rutschman’s enemy last year, they might prove to be Gunnar Henderson's ally in 2023 as he bids to become the first Oriole to win AL Rookie of the Year honors since Gregg Olson in 1989 -- and the first position player since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982.

Henderson’s chief competitor for the honor, Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, has a left thumb fracture that might cost him the rest of the regular season. While Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida is technically a rookie, he’s 30 years old and spent seven seasons in Japan’s major leagues.

Voters like big, round numbers, and Henderson reached one on Friday night as he helped the Orioles to a 9-4 win over the A’s at the Coliseum in the opener of the final series on Baltimore’s nine-game West Coast swing.

Henderson hit his 20th home run, with Rutschman aboard, against A’s bulk pitcher Luis Medina in the second inning. Henderson’s drive to right traveled a Statcast-projected 438 feet, his third-longest homer of the season. A’s right fielder Seth Brown craned his neck, but otherwise barely moved as the ball soared out.

The homer gave the O’s a 5-1 lead, Henderson having singled to start a three-run rally in the first inning that Cedric Mullins highlighted with a two-run double against opener Francisco Perez.

Henderson finished with three RBIs and three of Baltimore’s 16 hits on a cathartic night for the offense. The O’s totaled 17 runs over the first six games of the trip in Seattle and San Diego while facing a gauntlet of good pitchers that included Luis Castillo, Yu Darvish, Michael Wacha and Blake Snell.

“They did exactly what we needed to do against a club that’s been reeling a little bit,” winning pitcher Kyle Gibson said of the O’s offense after he grinded through five innings and allowed four runs. “They go out and put up runs early and give the starter, myself tonight, a chance to go out there and fill up the zone.”

Every Orioles batter had at least one hit. That included Anthony Santander, who left in the fifth inning with what manager Brandon Hyde described as general soreness, and Ramon Urias, who replaced him.

Henderson started the offensive onslaught with his first-inning single after Rutschman flied out to open the game.

By game’s end, Henderson had raised his OPS to .789. Jung’s was .812 when he went on the IL on Aug. 7. Yoshida’s stands at .831, although he has 13 homers to Henderson’s 20.

Rookies do not usually discuss awards during the season. Henderson was no different, confessing he was not aware that Ripken was the last Orioles hitter to win Rookie of the Year honors, although, “I probably could have guessed.”

“I don’t want to go out there and think about it,” Henderson said. “I want to go out and win first. That’s my biggest thing.”

Hyde was not as shy about making a case for Henderson.

“He’s just a really talented kid,” Hyde said. “He not only brings the offensive side, but the defensive side to play really well at two positions. He’s got 20 homers at this point, middle of August. He’s hitting in the top third of our order on a first-place club and he’s a huge part of our offense.”

Gibson noted one aspect of Henderson’s game that reminds him of Rutschman, and which makes them so dangerous in tandem as the first and second hitters.

“Adley and Gunnar do a really good job of not giving up at-bats,” Gibson said. “If there are guys on base, they’re going to get the job done. They both have a little swing-and-miss here and there, but if they need to find a way to put the ball in play they find a way to put the ball in play.

“They go out there and get the RBIs.”