Gunnar Henderson

We should always be impressed when 22 year olds hold their own at the major league level considering most players that age are still taking a bus to a small to mid-sized town near you. It is even more impressive when said players do something few others do early in their careers. Henderson was one of five corner infielders with 25 homers, 80 runs and RBIs along with 10 steals joining Walker, Freeman, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt while being five years younger than anyone else in that group. Henderson has been everything as advertised so far at the plate and in the field qualifying at both positions on the left side of the infield. The only fantasy flaw in his current profile is he has been just above average in batting average as his plate discipline is still morphing into what it could be while he continues attempting to figure out lefties who have limited him to a .199 average. Those are flaws you can live with for now while enjoying his continued overall growth

Henderson was shot out of a cannon last season, putting up a .312/.452/.573 slash line and 176 wRC+ with more walks (19.7 BB%) than strikeouts (18.3 K%) as a 20-year-old at Double-A. He subsequently got the bump to Triple-A, and while his production predictably dipped slightly, he still established himself as one of the game's elite prospects and got rewarded with a taste of the majors. Henderson's plus all-fields power is his current top skill for fantasy, and that may always be the case. However, he should also be a good enough hitter to add value in batting average and add significant value in on-base percentage. His 26.4 K% at Triple-A and 25.8 K% in the majors aren't very concerning when considering he won't turn 22 until late June and was well above the league average as a hitter at both stops. The young third baseman stole 23 bases on 27 attempts and has a 91st percentile sprint speed, so he could add double-digit steals over a full season. He primarily hit fifth in the majors and is one of Baltimore's bluechip building blocks, along with Adley Rutschman.

Henderson performed well statistically at the level he was supposed to perform well at (Low-A as a 19-year-old) but he struggled after aggressive assignments to High-A and Double-A. He struck out too much, even when he was having success, logging a 30.9 K% on the season. Henderson uses the whole field well and comfortably projects for plus power -- he hit 17 home runs and 28 doubles in 105 games, primarily against more advanced competition. However, so far, Henderson looks like a better prospect for OBP leagues than AVG leagues, given that he walked or struck out in 43% of his plate appearances last season. He is an average runner with some stiffness and a thicker lower half, so he may end up moving to third base and probably won't be a major threat on the bases, although he does have good instincts. It is noteworthy when a 20-year-old gets the bump to Double-A, and that's likely where Henderson will return this season, but for now, he projects as a three-category contributor in standard roto leagues.

By all accounts, Henderson was the most pleasant surprise this past summer at the Orioles' alternate training site and in the fall instructional league. A 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop who bats left-handed, Henderson was selected out of high school with the No. 42 overall pick in 2019 and held his own (103 wRC+) in the Gulf Coast League after signing. There were some mechanical adjustments made last year to Henderson's lower half that allowed him to have success over the summer as the youngest player at the alternate site. He is only an average runner and could slow down before he reaches the majors, so the hope is that he will hit for average and power to make up for the fact that he won't be a major source of stolen bases. He will likely head to Low-A, and if he is as good as advertised, he could get a bump to High-A before his 20th birthday in late June.

Henderson received $2.3 million (equivalent to the slot value of the No. 31 overall pick) when the Orioles selected him with the 42nd pick in 2019. While he was young for his class, not turning 18 until June 29, Henderson's Gulf Coast League showing wasn't particularly impressive. He hit .259/.331/.370 with one home run and two steals on four attempts in 121 PA. Seen as a sum-of-the-parts prospect without a standout tool, he does not stand out as an appealing dynasty-league target, although he should be rostered in deeper leagues. He uses the whole field and could develop above-average power as he fills out his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. He is just an average runner, which also limits the fantasy appeal.