Gunnar Henderson’s Historic Homer Propels Orioles Back to Top of AL East
With the Baltimore Orioles clinging to a slim one-run lead against the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the sixth inning, Gunnar Henderson provided the spark the team needed to pull ahead. The 23-year-old shortstop launched a 389-foot solo home run to right-center field, extending the Orioles’ lead to 2-0. That scoreline held for the remainder of the game, as Baltimore reclaimed the top spot in the highly competitive AL East standings.
Henderson’s home run wasn’t just vital to the game—it was historic. The blast marked his 36th of the season, extending his own record for the most home runs by a shortstop in Baltimore Orioles franchise history. The milestone also placed Henderson in elite company, making him only the fifth shortstop in American League history to hit 36 homers in a single season.
According to TSN’s StatsCentre, Henderson now joins an exclusive list of AL shortstops who have achieved the feat, which is led by Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez reached the mark seven times in his career as a shortstop, including his record-setting 57-home run season in 2002. Outside of Rodriguez, only two other AL shortstops—Rico Petrocelli (40 HR in 1969) and Vern Stephens (39 HR in 1949)—have ever hit more than Henderson’s current total.
Henderson, with 20 games remaining in the regular season, is tied with Rodriguez for the 10th-most home runs by an AL shortstop in a single year. He also holds the distinction of being the second-youngest shortstop on the list, behind Rodriguez.
As Henderson continues to etch his name into the record books, the Orioles are looking to ride his power surge to their first AL East title since 2014.
