Gunnar Henderson has earned plenty of opportunities to flip his bat this season. The Orioles shortstop ranks tied for second in the major leagues with 19 home runs, putting him on pace to hit 54 in his sophomore season. However, the 22-year-old rarely celebrates his long balls with the gusto some other players do, instead opting to politely admire his long balls for a few seconds before dropping the bat like a gentleman and trotting around the bases.
But that doesn’t mean Henderson isn’t finding his way to celebrate. Instead of bat flipping after a homer, it’s following his walks when the budding superstar throws caution to the wind — and his bat through it. “Honestly, for me, I treat them as good as a hit,” Henderson said of the 31 bases on balls he’s drawn this season.
After each ball four, Henderson flings his bat — an “aggressive walk,” manager Brandon Hyde called it — before making his way to first. He does so in such a forceful way that it’s raised questions about whether he’s chucking the bat in disgust or excitement. Either way, the unusual celebration, like Henderson amid his emergence as one of baseball’s best players, is gaining notoriety.
His teammates approve. “We love it,” catcher James McCann said. “I think guys like to celebrate the homers, so we start celebrating our walks.
” “Everyone laughs when they see it,” second baseman Jorge Mateo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “It’s something we’ve never se.
