With spring training heating up, the Baltimore Orioles are hopeful that 2025 will be a special year for the franchise.
For the past two seasons, there hasn’t been a team in the American League that has won as many regular season games as the Orioles.
While the success in the regular season for Baltimore has been nice, they have yet to see that translate into any postseason success.
The Orioles have built their franchise around a talented young lineup. A lot of credit has to go to the front office for their ability to draft and develop hitters. Every year, it feels like Baltimore has at least one or two more impact young bats coming up through their system.
Having a strong young core like they do is why the Orioles have been able to have as much success as they have over the past couple of seasons. While there is plenty of young talent, one player has really separated himself from the pack.
Will Leitch of MLB.com recently predicted that Orioles star Gunnar Henderson will be taking home the honors of MVP in the American League this coming season.
After winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2023, the 23-year-old slugger took his game to new heights last year. Henderson was able to slash .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs, 92 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.
It was an incredible campaign for the young slugger and if not for some historic years from Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., he would have had a real chance to have been in the MVP conversation.
However, with the young star entering his third full season, there is reason to believe that he will be even better in 2025.
After posting a 9.1 WAR last year, it was a significant jump from his rookie campaign. At his age, improvement is still likely for Henderson, which is an exciting thing to think about for Baltimore.
However, the competition for the MVP will once again be challenging. Judge is still likely to be the favorite until proven otherwise for the New York Yankees. Also, Witt Jr. can really do it all for the Kansas City Royals.
Furthermore, Henderson shouldn’t be counted out for really being able to contend. If he is able to take another step forward in his development, there is no reason why he can’t win the MVP.
If Henderson continues to improve, it will result in a lot of success for the Orioles in 2025 and solidify him as one of the best young players in the league.
