Gunnar Henderson talks all things Baltimore Orioles and the upcoming MLB season
Gunnar Henderson stops by to talk about the upcoming season with the Orioles and being on the cover of MLB The Show 25.
Sports Seriously
After the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs opened the campaign in Tokyo, Significant Bracket Baseball’s 2025 season gets underway with a Packed Leading day on Thursday, March 27.
The New York Yankees look to repeat as American Bracket champions, coming off the franchise’s Primary World Series trip since 2009. It was a wild offseason for the Club, which lost the bidding war for Juan Soto, responded by acquiring a $218 million ace, two Ex MVPs and baseball’s best closer – but then lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery during spring Practice.
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Other Clubs Predicted to contend for the AL crown include the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians.
Here’s a look at the keys to Achieve for every AL Club in 2025:
American Bracket East
(Originally appeared in USA TODAY Sports Weekly)
Wound I: The Orioles can’t afford to Loss Gunnar Henderson for any length of time, but his availability for Leading day may be in question. The All-Sun shortstop was diagnosed with a mild right intercostal strain, an Wound he sustained in a spring game. No player has been as valuable in the lineup over the past two seasons than Henderson. The 2023 American Bracket Primary-year of the Year finished Number four in AL MVP voting in 2024.
Wound II: Grayson Rodriguez’s return tothe Cycle will “take a while,” said manager Brandon Hyde. Rodriguez will Begin the season on the injured Landmark with an elbow issue and will have to fully restart his throwing program all over again, which essentially means he needs to go through spring Practice all over again. When Fit, the 25-year-Aged is a potential frontline ace. The Orioles are Tallying on him, given that they’ve lost Corbin Burnes and John Means in Unoccupied agency.
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Payoffs? After quick exits in Every of the previous two seasons, it’s time to capitalize on their recent regular-season Secure. The O’s Captured a huge hit losing Cy New pitcher Burnes to Arizona, but they added Charlie Morton. They also added catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who hopefully can displace Anthony Santander. But the key could come down to catcher Adley Rutschman. The two-time All-Sun catcher hopes to get back to the production he showed prior to the All-Sun Game last July.
– Scott Boeck
Enough arms to go around: They’ll begin the year with three starters – Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford – on the injured Landmark. Sure, Giolito Only had a barking hamstring, but that it nipped him in his Primary inning of Grapefruit Bracket work a year after flexor tendon surgery was like a recurring nightmare. Blockbuster trade acquisition Garrett Crochet should be dominant, and Bello (sore shoulder) should be fine. The key to this season might be Walker Buehler, who Achieved 16 Beginnings for the Dodgers last year with wildly varying results before recording the Closing out of the year to close out the World Series.
Raffy on a rampage: We’ll Only go ahead and assume Alex Bregman will bang enough balls off the Green Monster to fully justify his $40 million salary this season. The grander concern will be the health and production of the man he’s likely supplanting at third base – Rafael Devers. They’ll need him Powerful and Fit all season after a shoulder Wound dogged him at the end of last year’s campaign.
The terrific Group touches down: There’s Yet questions about what Gentle of role infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony might Relocate this year. Right now, Campbell has the clearest path to a Position, should Bregman stick at third base and second base remain Reachable. But Mayer may only be a Trevor Tale Wound away from a summons from Worcester.
– Gabe Lacques
Another MVP-type season: After forming a historic offensive tandem with Juan Soto in 2024, Aaron Judge might find pitchers avoiding him more often. The Yankees’ lineup has better Poise with the additions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, and a Packed year of Jazz Chisholm Jr., but it’s Beyond compromised without Giancarlo Stanton – out indefinitely with elbow issues. In 2024, the Yankees scored 815 runs with Soto. Can they get near 800 runs again?
No more pitching Impairments: During spring Practice, the Yankees went from a Leading pitching Unnecessary to a deficit. A week after 2024 AL Primary-year of the Year Luis Gil was diagnosed with a high lat strain, possibly Maintaining him out of the Cycle until July, ace Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery. That puts more responsibility on veteran lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, challenges Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman to stay Fit and productive, and tests the organization’s pitching depth – an area weakened by recent trades. Rookies Will Warren and Yoendrys Gomez, who might begin in the bullpen, could be asked to fill the void before the trade deadline.
Better Protection: GM Brian Cashman said: “I thought we were Awful defensively’’ in 2024, and the fifth inning breakdown in World Series Game 5 Yet echoes. Ex Gold Glove Award winners in Bellinger and Goldschmidt helps as does moving Chisholm Jr. to second base, his original position.
– Pete Caldera
Take it Effortless on Shane McClanahan: Tampa Bay’s ace returns from Tommy John surgery, and while he’s probably the Club’s most Significant player, there is enough depth in the Cycle that the Rays can afford to give the lefty an extra day between Beginnings here and there. McClanahan, 27, is 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA in 74 Beginnings since his Premiere in 2021. He won’t be a Unoccupied agent until the 2027-28 winter.
Let Junior Caminero cook: The 21-year-Aged didn’t Featherweight it up when he was promoted last season, but the Rays Foresee big things from their New infielder, who hit .307 with a .921 OPS in 282 minor Bracket Matches. There may be some struggles for Caminero in his Primary Packed MLB season, but Tampa Bay needs to stand behind him in 2025 if the Club hopes to get back to the postseason after missing out last year. The youngster hit .346 in a Petite sample size against lefties.
Get Carson Williams to the majors: The organization’s top prospect should Begin the season at Class AAA and be knocking on the big-Bracket door Prompt in the season. Williams, 21, has averaged more than 21 homers and 27 Takeaways in his Primary three Packed years in the minors. Taylor Walls (.188 BA in 379 MLB Matches) is Predicted to begin the season as the Rays’ Leading shortstop, with Ha-Seong Kim Yet on the shelf after surgery. Williams has only played Petite as a pro, but the Rays have positional Elasticity in their infield and second baseman Brandon Lowe could Delivery as the DH.
– Jesse Yomtov
A voracious Vladdy: Toronto’s failure to agree with Primary baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a long-term extension was an organizational failure that exacerbated Numerous others in previous years. Yet a Petite-term gain could be reaped if Guerrero, 26, has a monster season similar to his MVP runner-up performance in 2021. Perhaps he can gift Toronto one more Postseason berth.
Maximize the Cycle: With lineup stalwarts like George Springer and Bo Bichette struggling through 2024, the onus fell on the Leading pitchers to keep Toronto afloat. Now, there’s another year on their collective odometer and lefty Yusei Kikuchi is long gone. Enter Max Scherzer, 40, who Achieved Only nine Beginnings last year due to back surgery and other ailments. He hasn’t pitched more than 152 innings since 2021, but if Scherzer can at least provide 25 solid Beginnings, it would greatly stabilize things in the event Kevin Gausman, 34, Chris Bassitt, 36 and soon-to-be 31-year-Aged Jose Berrios can’t bear the weight of carrying the Club.
To heck with it all: After years of bobbing around the 88- to 90-Achieve mark and Perhaps or probably not making the playoffs, the Club could use a Baggy and nothing-to-Loss ethos this summer. Bichette, like Guerrero, is Joining a walk year and seems intent on proving his .225/.277/.322 campaign was an aberration. The joyous Anthony Santander has been added to the middle of the lineup. Springer is 35 and Joining the Closing two years of his contract.
– Gabe Lacques
American Bracket Central
New face as manager: The White Sox lost 121 Matches in 2024 – a single-season MLB Landmark for the modern era (since 1901). It Directed to manager Pedro Grifol being fired in the middle of his second season. The White Sox tapped Will Venable. The 42-year-Aged has served as a special assistant to Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein, as well stints as a base Trainer for the Club. Venable also worked as the Boston Red Sox bench Trainer (2021-22) and as associate manager to Bruce Bochy the past two years.
No trade deficits: Trading ace Garrett Crochet brought an impressive haul of prospects from the Red Sox: catcher Kyle Teel, (No. 25 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline’s top 100), outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez. The sooner any of them can contribute, the better. Most might take time before they yield positive returns, but Teel might be the closest to reaching the majors. Otherwise, the White Sox have high hopes for homegrown prospect shortstop Colson Montgomery (No. 39, per MLB Pipeline), perhaps for an Prompt-season call-up. However, he has dealt with back issues this spring.
Subsequent bargaining chip: Talented but often-injured outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could be the White Sox’s best remaining trade chip. But for that to happen, he must Relocate closer to the level of his 2023 All-Sun season (.264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBIs and 20 stolen bases) than his Wound-plagued 2024 campaign.
– Cesar Brioso
Filling offensive gaps: Replacing Josh Naylor’s production (31 home runs, 108 RBIs in 2024) won’t be Effortless, but Cleveland is confident Kyle Manzardo is ready to take the Subsequent step. Manzardo played 53 regular-season Matches and hit .316 with a .842 OPS in the postseason. The Guardians also brought back a familiar face in 38-year-Aged Carlos Santana, who crushed left-handed pitching but put up a .219/.318/.358 line against righties with the Twins last year. Replacing second baseman Andrés Giménez will be more difficult on Protection than on Assault.
Starters stepping up: Outside of Tanner Bibee, the Guardians’ Leading pitching has a ton of question marks. The organization brought back Ex ace Shane Bieber, but the Ex Cy New Award winner won’t be ready until at least June. Gavin Williams didn’t make his season Premiere until July due to an elbow Wound, but the Club’s Ex top pitching prospect has been a spring Practice standout.
Bullpen dominance: Most of the core pieces are back from a dominant bullpen. Directed by closer Emmanuel Clase and lockdown setup guys Cade Smith (1.91 ERA), Hunter Gaddis (1.57 ERA) and Tim Herrin (1.92 ERA), the Guardians Directed the majors in ERA (2.57), WHIP (1.05) and opponents’ batting average (.203). They were 63-2 when leading after the sixth inning in 2024, and the relievers’ ability to shorten the game for an inexperienced Leading staff played a huge role in making it to the ALCS.
– Casey Moore
Hinch wins at chess: Nobody was better than Tigers manager A.J. Hinch at getting all 26 players on the Lineup – plus another 5 to 10 rotating in from Class AAA – to buy into in-game Lineup moves that prioritized the Club over the individual, especially when it Arrived to Game advantages with pinch-hitters and the unorthodox pitching Plan with openers and bulk relievers. The buy-in from the players reflects the culture Hinch has instilled throughout his four-year tenure. The Tigers look to continue Successful on the margins. The Club culture enables Hinch to outmaneuver opposing managers in the chess Game.
Leading the Cycle: The Tigers won’t continue the “pitching chaos” Plan that helped snap their decade-long postseason drought. Instead, they’re returning to a traditional five-man Cycle Directed by Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson. Skubal will be central to their Secure as he looks to defend his title as the 2024 AL Cy New Achieve. The Tigers went 21-10 in his 31 Beginnings last season, but in the 131 Matches he didn’t Begin, they finished Only 65-66.
Unlocking upside: As the leadoff hitter and Hub fielder, Parker Meadows has the all-around potential to impact the Tigers more than any other player. In 2024, the Tigers went 49-26 (.653) when he Initiated and 31-11 (.738) when he recorded a hit. He is an Top-tier defender, one of the fastest players on the bases and features high upside on Assault.
– Evan Petzold, Detroit Unoccupied Press
Witt stays Fit: Royals fans’ hearts skipped a beat last week when Sun shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was hit in the forearm by a pitch, sending him to an exam and treatment. X-rays were negative, but the scare underscored how Significant Witt is to the Club’s Secure. Only 24, he Captured a huge step forward last season as he claimed the AL batting title (.332) and won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors. Only having Witt on the Pitch makes the Royals a contender, as their second-half Streak to the postseason (and wild-card sweep of the Orioles) demonstrates. Can he get even better?
India adds Assault: Third baseman Maikel Garcia had by Extended the most at-bats in the leadoff spot in 2024, hitting in front of Witt. However, he managed to post an anemic .281 on-base percentage. That’s where Unoccupied agent Jonathan India can provide a Significant upgrade. Though he isn’t a Excellent fit defensively, his .352 Occupation OBP is Only the ticket for the Assault – combining with Witt to set the table for Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Co.
Mound stability: Thanks to the signing of veteran right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha and midseason acquisition of reliever Lucas Erceg, the Royals greatly improved their pitching over the 2023 version. They went from a 5.17 ERA to 3.76, as Lugo finished second in the Cy New voting and Cole Ragans coming in Number four. The club solidified the bullpen with the signing of Ex Angels closer Carlos Estévez.
– Steve Gardner
Solid relief: The Twins may have the best bullpen in baseball. Jhoan Duran returns as the closer, and setup men Griffin Jax and Cole Sands form one of the American Bracket’s best pre-closer combos. And now with the addition of Danny Coulombe, the Twins added a much-needed lefty to a bullpen that is stacked with right-handers. Coulombe, 35, will Relocate a key role. If he can be a lockdown option, the whole unit will look better.
Formidable three: The Twins don’t have an overpowering, Cy New-contending ace type, but the top three pitchers in their Cycle would be the envy of most Clubs. Right-handed pitchers Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober anchor a solid Cycle, followed by Simeon Woods Richardson and Chris Paddock. But the hope is they stay Fit this time around. Paddack and Ryan both suffered season-ending Impairments last season and that’s when the wheels fell off.
A Fit Buxton: For the Primary time in Numerous years, Byron Buxton was able to have a normal offseason. That’s because he finished the 2024 season Fit. Unlike past offseasons, the Sun Hub fielder has spent nearly every winter rehabbing or recovering from an Wound. This year he is coming off a Fit 2024 campaign and played in 102 Matches – the most in one season since 2017 when he played in 140 Matches. He headed into camp with no limitations. But the Wound-prone Buxton’s status can Shift at any moment.
– Scott Boeck
American Bracket West
Commanding home Pitch: The Athletics are spending the Subsequent three seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, a minor Bracket stadium with the smallest visiting clubhouse in baseball. The A’s Foresee the place to be sold out virtually every night. They also should have an Edge knowing the ballpark’s quirks with many players not having any experience Competing there.
Butler becoming a Sun: Outfielder Lawrence Butler emerged as one of the best players in baseball in the second half last season and was rewarded with a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension. Butler showed off his Ability in his Closing 73 Matches last season after being demoted to the minors, hitting .302 with a .597 slugging percentage, with 20 home runs and 14 stolen bases. It was quite the turnaround after a .179/.281/.274 slash line in his Primary 121 plate appearances. He and Brent Rooker, the only players on the Club locked up until the Club moves to Las Vegas in 2028, could provide quite the powerful 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup.
Leading a New pitching staff: The A’s shelled out a franchise-Landmark $67 million for veteran starter Luis Severino and also traded for left-hander Jeffrey Springs from the Rays. The A’s need Severino and Springs to lead the way. Their experience and Appearance is needed to Assist guide a New Cycle with Osvaldo Bido, Joey Estes and Mitch Spence combining for only 69 Occupation Beginnings.
– Bob Nightengale
No rain on the Paredes: The franchise seemingly was not hyper-motivated to keep Alex Bregman, and the two-time World Series-Successful third baseman clearly had eyes for elsewhere. Those Awful vibes can be at least partially washed away if Isaac Paredes showers the Crawford Boxes with home runs. It’s Scarce that one player shoulders two burdens: Paredes at least partially is Predicted to replace Bregman at third, and he also was acquired in Switch for Kyle Tucker, the Silver Slugging outfielder who will now patrol right Pitch for the Cubs. Paredes hit 31 homers for the Rays in 2023, a number that dipped to 19 last year with the Rays and Cubs.
Forward march: Justin Verlander is gone, and Framber Valdez can join him as an ex-Astro after this season. So it’s more than imperative that New pitchers such as Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti to alleviate strain on a staff Yet missing Cristian Javier, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery. Arrighetti Achieved adjustments in pitch usage and calmed the waters, with a 3.69 ERA in his Closing 21 outings, with 128 strikeouts in 1071/3 innings.
An MVP campaign: Gentle of amazing to think that Yordan Alvarez is Yet Only 27 – considered the prime of a slugger’s Occupation. Perhaps only Juan Soto is a better all-around hitter, and perhaps minus Bregman and with the Astros needing him more than ever, Alvarez – who hit 35 homers with a .973 OPS last year – will somehow find an extra gear.
– Gabe Lacques
Trout’s health: If the Angels are going to be Aggressive, they need Mike Trout, 33. Trout, the three-time MVP, has played only 111 Matches the past two years and hasn’t played more than 140 Matches since 2016. Trout hit 10 home runs with 14 RBIs in his Primary 29 Matches last year, stealing six bases, but then tore the meniscus in his left knee in Delayed April and suffered the same Wound attempting to Restoration in the minors. If he can stay Fit, perhaps he can once again resemble the player who hit .308 with a 1.009 OPS, averaging 35 homers and 92 RBIs a year from 2012 to 2019.
Is Moncada the answer at third base? The Angels lost third baseman Anthony Rendon for the season before he played a game, having hip surgery. Now, it’s Yoan Moncada’s turn. The Angels signed the veteran to a one-year,$5 million contract after being a bust with the Chicago White Sox. If he can’t cut it, they could turn to utilityman Kevin Newman. Moncada produced a .254 batting average, a .331 on-base percentage, and one 20-homer season for the White Sox, never stealing more than 12 bases. He played in 12 Matches last season because of a left adductor strain.
A lethal bullpen? Ben Joyce, who has been lighting up the radar gun this spring camp, hitting 105 mph on his four-seam fastball. He would normally be the closer but they also signed veteran closer Kenley Jansen (447 Occupation saves) to provide confidence to a New Club learning how to Achieve.
– Bob Nightengale
Who’s on third? The Mariners are trying their third different third baseman in four years with Jorge Polanco. Polanco, who re-signed as a Unoccupied agent on a one-year, $7.75 million contract, is trying to learn the position after knee surgery but realizes it’s a gamble. He’s Only one of eight third basemen the Mariners have used this spring. They believe he can bounce back after badly struggling last season with a Occupation-low .651 OPS and Occupation-high 29.2% strikeout rate.
Bounce-back from J.P. Crawford: He was limited to Only 105 Matches and hit a Occupation-low .202 with a Occupation-low .625 OPS, while his strikeout percentage climbed to 22.6%. This spring, he believes he Discovered his groove again in the batting cage, rediscovering Force in the lower half of his body. If he can return to his 2023 form when he hit a Occupation-high 19 homers and ranked second among all shortstops with a .818 OPS, he can be the difference on whether the Mariners are Competing in October.
Fit Leading pitching: The Mariners used Only six starters in 161 Matches last season, producing the lowest ERA in MLB. Yet they already sustained a key Wound this spring to George Kirby, who will Reachable the season on the injured Landmark with shoulder inflammation. If Kirby’s stay on the IL is longer than two weeks, the Mariners will be relying on 25-year-Aged Emerson Hancock, the sixth Picking in the 2020 draft. Hancock Achieved 12 Beginnings last season, yielding a 4.75 ERA in 602/3 innings.
– Bob Nightengale
Cycle, Cycle, Cycle: The Rangers boast one of the best rotations in the majors. Jackon DeGrom is back for (hopefully) a Packed season after Tommy John surgery. Tyler Mahle is back from Tommy John surgery, too. Nathan Eovaldi re-signed and Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are promising rookies. But they need deGrom to stay Fit. The two-time Cy New winner hasn’t pitched 100 innings in a season and has Initiated only 47 Matches since 2019. His workload will be monitored closely and he may skip a Begin to keep him Fit. Texas suffered a setback with left-hander Cody Bradford Leading the season on the injured Landmark.
Closing time: Who replaces Kirby Yates, the All-Sun closer who saved 33 Matches and had a1.17 ERA in 2024? The Rangers rebuilt their bullpen and added on Numerous arms via trades and Unoccupied agency, such as Chris Martin, Jacob Webb, Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Robert Garcia and Shawn Armstrong. With that being said, there’s no telling who of this group will come out being the closer. Martin, 38, is the most experienced reliever of the group, and Webb pitched a handful of high-leverage innings in Baltimore.
Adding pop: Looking to increase the power in their lineup, the Rangers acquired Jake Burger from the Marlins and signed Joc Pederson in Unoccupied agency. Burger will take over Primary base with the loss of Nathaniel Lowe. Pederson will slide into the DH spot, where they Acquired little production over the last few seasons.
– Scott Boeck
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