Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson gets brutally honest on lack of playing time with Team USA at WBC

The Baltimore Orioles are depending on star shortstop Gunnar Henderson to help turn around the disastrous season they had in 2025 when they finished in last place in the American League East. Henderson, an All-Star in 2024, did not come close to matching that performance last season. Despite that downturn, Henderson was selected to play in the World Baseball Classic by Team USA.

Henderson was not one of the team’s regular starters, as he had to play behind starting shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The Orioles shortstop did not accept his role willingly. He made sure he confronted manager Mark DeRosa to campaign for more playing time. Henderson wanted to show his manager, his teammates and baseball fans all of his skills and the way he could influence the outcome of a baseball game.

While Henderson did not take the starting shortstop job away from Witt, he did get a chance to play with some frequency. Henderson was one of the more productive hitters for Team USA and he played several games at 3rd base.

He had 6 hits in 15 at bats for a .400 batting average and he also blasted 2 home runs and drove in 4 runs. He played in 4 of Team USA’s 7 games and would have liked to play more. “I mean, the competitor in me, yeah,” Henderson said. “So, yeah, I wish I could have gotten in there a little bit more, but just wasn’t the way the cards came out.”

Henderson and the Orioles are hoping to rebound in 2026. After making the playoffs in 2023 and ’24, their last-place finish was unexpected. They have added slugger Pete Alonso in free agency in an attempt to give their lineup a boost.

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