Orioles' Jared Banner Compares Gunnar Henderson's Slump to Cubs Outfielder's Development

The Baltimore Orioles were expecting a lot more from Gunnar Henderson in a year where they were hoping to make it back to the postseason after missing out last year. Unfortunately, Baltimore would have to watch the playoffs from afar once again with Henderson having the worst season of his career.

The 25-year-old shortstop slashed .226/.311/.404 and recorded a .715 OPS this year, a noticeable regression from his .274 hitting average in 2025.

Nonetheless, general manager Jared Banner who took the position last Monday following a six-year stint with the Chicago Cubs, is sticking by Henderson. Banner compared his slump to the growing pains experienced by the NL MVP favorite--Pete Crow-Armstrong.

"In 2025, he [Crow-Armstrong] started the All-Star Game in center field, he's a five to six-one player, but he also had the highest chase rate and highest swing rate in the league," Banner said. "He wasn't satisfied with that, we talked about him never being satisfied. He went back to the drawing board and we supported him in that. And then became a 10-1 player and the presumed National League MVP."

With a strong background in player development and performance, Banner had the privilege of overseeing the rise of Crow-Armstrong after convincing Chicago president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to acquire him in a trade with the New York Mets near the 2021 trade deadline. 

Henderson, on the other hand, has been a homegrown staple for the Orioles who selected him 42nd overall in the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his major-league debut in 2022, hitting .259 in 34 games and earning the AL Rookie of the Year Award the following year. Henderson went on to bat an impressive .281 and finish fourth in AL MVP voting in 2024.

Still, Banner's analogy is rather unfair to Crow-Armstrong who has been in MVP conversations since 2025. Besides his confidence in the batter's box, Crow-Armstrong has shown just as much aggression on the basepaths this year, recording 41 stolen bases to Henderson's 10.

Crow-Armstrong has also been on the better team given that Chicago reached the playoffs for the second-straight year. Meanwhile, Henderson and the Orioles last made the postseason in 2024. 

While Henderson should have plenty of time to bounce back due to his youth, whether he will get a chance to do so in a Baltimore uniform is to be determined as the team considers reducing its crowded infield this offseason.