Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson on Corbin Burnes’ impact, lessons from the 2023 playoffs & more
speaking of Corbin after your Homer barrage recently he was asked about your power and he said it was quote pretty average care to respond uh we’ll say his Cutter’s pretty [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] aage byeball onto the track at the wall it’s gone home run turns on the ball deep right field and go what a game what a moment all right I am pumped to be joined Again by friend of the Pod gunar Henderson absolutely killing it this year gunar thanks for hopping on again man yeah thank you for having me of course first off gotta ask the stash looking Immaculate how long how long are we riding with that it seems a couple guys on the team are rocking the stashes these days what’s going on with that yeah so uh I know uh Westy Jordan he had he had one I think to start and I don’t know I had the goatee pretty much throughout all the spring training and then got to the season and I was just I was about to shave it and then my fiance said just leave the stash so I left it and um yeah just letting it ride how do you uh how do you go about obviously hitting well that helps keep the stash but what if she likes it then you weren’t hitting well what would you have done would you have shaved it anyway uh probably we’ll see how it goes ah so we talked about it early in the year on the show one of the biggest stories in basball so far this year what can you tell me about Colton cower yeting Craig kemoll’s 422nd save ball in Kansas City what what was the locker room like after that no it was it was funny I mean uh Craig he’s a great guy so he wasn’t like too upset about it or anything but he he uh cowser actually walked walked around with the baseball in a little like it’s going to work and a little bucket of rice he had like a little little sleeve of rice acting like that was going to dry it out but yeah it was it just made for some some good quality humor around the clubhouse him having to carry that around so he just seemed he’s been obviously a great help at a lot of points this year in the lineup uh cower that is but it seems like he’s also just a great locker room dude how how has he transitioned to the big league Squad yeah I mean um last year he obviously didn’t do as good as he wanted to but I feel like those experiences that he’s learned uh has really helped him this year because he came in this year with the uh a really good mindset he’s still his same just kind of cut up funny self but he’s also like more um serious on his process and sticking to it and just um really taking care of himself and I’ve been really impressed with it I feel like with with a lot of these young guys there’s so many in this orial system and now in the big leagues with with a few of them I would say your s included there’s been stretches of times where it’s a struggle and then you learn to get out of it I think last time you were on we talked about that you had had a slower start to the year and then figured it out and and had a a great year um one of those guys you mentioned cowser but Jackson holiday as well top prospect in baseball everyone knows the kid’s going to be a stud but he comes up and and really struggles and and I think he’s surrounded by people that have almost it it probably benefits them they’ve been through it they know how to struggle and then figure it out and come back and be successful and the organization knows that as well so what did you what did you see from from Jackson holiday and were you able to to talk to him saying hey man I I I went through this as well you’re gonna you’re gonna figure it out and be a pretty damn good baseball player yeah I mean I felt like I he’s in the exact same position that I was in um I was just fortunate enough to be able to completely get through it at the big league level but yeah it just seemed like like I said at that point or at this point last year seemed like you’re just walking up to the plate 02 every time and it’s just like going at it every single day it can get really tough mentally but he he handled it really well um yeah it’s only a matter of time before he gets back here but I just kind of told him like that was the experience that I went through and kind of I leaned on my teammates they they really helped me a lot and then the coaches and stuff and biggest thing is just not losing confidence ing yourself because um in the big leagues it’s really easy to do that especially when you first get caught up and start struggling um and then um yeah for me the biggest thing was just staying staying aggressive don’t let the uh results just make you try to be more perfect in a sense just get out there and stay aggressive and if you fail aggressively then I’d rather do that than um not or failing not so aggressively so how cool is it to have I mean this isn’t this can’t be said for the other for every other 29 organizations in the league how how cool is it to have an organization that is willing to let you grow in the big leagues and I would even say that’s true for for Jackson holiday he got a lot of opportunity and even when he was struggling they would run him back out there and and let him have his have his chance to hit out of it and now he’s doing that in Triple A and I have no doubts he’ll be back but how valuable to you was is that to to allow you to struggle in the big leagues I’ll forever remember a story my brother was was talking about when he first came up uh Jim Leland was the manager for the Tigers and he would just he credits a lot of Jim Leland just letting him stay out there and letting him struggle and letting him work through that to the success that he’s gone on to have in the big Lea so how valuable is that to have that in your organization yeah I mean uh I was very fortunate and blessed and I can’t thank the uh the Orioles enough for letting me just go through it at the big league level um just getting getting that experience and then just learning how to get through it and just how to uh break through it at the end of it and that’s I feel like that’s been huge development for me because um I kind of had something similar in the minor leagues and it helped me throughout my years after and it was uh I honestly feel like that’s the best way to go through it is to have that struggle so you can learn how to go through it because as baseball players know you’re going to go through it again yeah at some point probably every year yeah last time you were on uh the Orioles looked fairly similar just minus one big massive arm at the top of that rotation now it was huge news in the off season where were you when the Orioles traded for Corbin Burns um I think I was just at home and then um yeah I was just chilling on my phone I think my little brother was like Hey did y’ just see y’all got Corbin burn he like no I don’t I don’t think so but yeah I went and checked it and then saw it and it was a it pretty special I mean uh got to face him last year and glad glad he’s on our set now so it was equally equally a surprise to you you you hadn’t heard anything before the news became official I haven’t no sir um yeah it was until it was released on like the little MLB app or um yeah I can’t remember those there Instagram or something so you obviously face him you know what he’s like in the Box you’re glad you don’t have to face him anymore but as a person he’s also been on the show and and seems like a great guy but getting to be his teammates what have been your your first impressions uh meeting Corbin Burns and having him in the locker room yeah he’s uh he’s an awesome dude um we uh we we play a lot of bumper pool with each other um his Locker’s right across the table so we end up playing a lot of bumper pool against each other but uh yeah he’s really awesome dude to be around I enjoy watching his process on start days just kind of seeing uh like what a previous sa young winner bu he does on his start days and being able to just kind of uh watch his pretty cool and then especially watching him go to work um on the mound is pretty special well you personally this year I I gotta ask about your 14th Homer of the year because to me that’s been the most impressive one so far you went Oppo at Camden Yards and for those that don’t know that fence got moved way back that is it’s hard for righties to hit it out I think you’re one of like three lefties at this point to ever hit it out to that deep part in left field I mean you got it but when you hit a ball that way did you know you got enough of it to hit it out yeah so normally in minor leagues like got like I went opposite field a lot so I know when I get it and I felt like I got it pretty good but then as soon as it came off and I saw it I was like oh crap that wall is pretty high so so I started running a little bit and I was very glad to see that thing sneak over it really is is it that is is that the number is it are you now the third Lefty to hit it out over that wall I think I think so because yeah I think Alman hit the first one yeah and then rut hit one and then yeah I think it was um the third when they move when they moov that wall back it had I feel like every top prospect coming up through the system with the Orioles a lot of them are right or a lot of them are left-handed do you was that part of it did that go into it or were they just saying it’s too short over there to left we’re we’re going to just back it up was it just the fact that they needed to back it up or did they know it was coming I I have no idea what the uh what the reasoning was um wish they wouldn’t raised it that high I wouldn’t I don’t mind like the distance just the height of it makes lower please yeah you have to hit it that much further but um yeah I mean it’s a I guess a cool little objective whenever you do get it over that wall well you you personally so far this year obviously a great pace you’re on Pace for what would be a franchise record 55 homers how I mean this might even be a dumb question cuz I bet you’re feeling good but how are you feeling at the plate right now the ball looking like a it’s one of those times where the ball just looks like a beach ball at the plate right now um I honestly feel like I’m just getting into because I’m I’m kind of I feel like I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my swing just because growing up it was just my dad and I working on my swing and I know I I know the feeling that I want to have and kind of in the earlier parts of the year it wasn’t exactly what I what I wanted to feel feel but um our hitting coach the hitting coaches we have we’ve uh been working and I feel like I’m in a good process oriented um mind right now and I felt like was getting maybe a little my hands a little caught behind and kind of dragging a little bit and we kind of cleaned that up and I’m feeling like my body’s in a good position to put a good swing on the ball and I feel like that’s what I’ve been doing for the past uh about week and um yeah just looking forward to keeping that going I’m always I’m always interested and you know I try not to off dive too deep in the weeds here of swings for you know I but myself personally I had a fairly similar when I was struggle and the same sort of thing would happen and I would get my hand you know I felt like my hands would get stuck and then I’d kind of armar out and around the ball and not really able to pull my swing through the way I wanted to and get in the slot I wanted to what are what are some of the the drills that you do to like when you’re talking to your hitting coach and you felt stuck what are some of the things you work on in a cage for me is the biggest thing is like I said or we can backtrack whenever I talked to you about those struggles in the minor leagues um the hitting side of things it was I was going down deep rabbit holes of trying to change every single thing yeah so when I got going back going again I just got back to what got me there and honestly just not changing anything so I’ve tried to stick to that to this day and the only thing that I’ve ever like tried to change if it doesn’t feel right is just my hands nothing with my body my setup or anything just my hands because I feel like that’s uh yeah just like actually honestly for me distance away from my body because I I’ll tend to get them caught behind and they’ll drag through the Zone like you said yours what that’s uh that’s the biggest thing for me is just the hand placement and just allowing myself to be able to turn to the ball and I feel like if I do that then um I’ll be able to put good swings on the ball and uh get myself more shots at doing some damage somewhere so that’s been the biggest thing for me is just not going down those rabbit holes changing every single thing trying to get good feels for that day rather than sticking to something that it might take yeah two three days to get that process and get that feel of it but yeah you know ultimately down the road that’s going to help you in the long run rather those good feelings and BP speaking of speaking of Corbin after your Homer barrage recently he was asked about your power and he said it was quote pretty average respond uh we’ll say his Cutter’s pretty ad nah it’s all fun yeah he’s uh he’s probably still just a little little mad at me for beating him in bumper pool too many times that pretty average cutter also get you know the pretty average power hits a lot of homers the pretty average cutter uh gets some Sai Young Awards so yeah lot of average stuff happened in that Orioles locker room yeah he’s a good dude it’s funny uh so the new you have new ownership there with the Orioles and uh the new owner uh Rubenstein recently spent a game out in the bird bath with your fans I mean I I think that just scratches the surface of the new the new Vibe he’s bringing I mean as players can can you guys feel the vibe he’s bringing he just seems like all you want as a baseball fan and as a baseball player is to have an owner that loves baseball and and wants the team to succeed and this guy came in and seemingly just loves Baltimore loves the city loves the team and wants to win can you guys feel that yeah I mean he’s he’s bringing an unreal energy he’s just going out there and really embracing the city uh it seems like every game he comes to he’s throwing out hats for the fans and stuff he’s going out to the Splash Zone and he’s uh he’s really loving it you can tell he’s he’s enjoying it just being out there we uh his seats are right on the right inside the Dugout and he’s always like tossing uh different hats and stuff so he’s uh he’s really enjoying it and really getting the fans uh back in the stands and it’s been really awesome seeing the yards packed out how much have you guys enjoyed the the bird bath out there it looks like I mean me personally I just see it and I want to go be a part of it it looks awesome to have out there it looks like it gets everyone involved and obviously they’re bouncing off of what you guys do as a team with your celebration and in The Dugout how cool is that to have yeah I mean it’s all you can ask for just having the having the fans being able to have a section where they can feel like they’re in the game as well with our celebrations and stuff it’s uh it’s pretty cool being able to see that yeah uh yes kind of taking over taking over the yarts by storm because you see people doing Sprinklers and stuff and then especially getting the water hose sprayed all over them so it’s great I love it speaking of speaking of Rubenstein and and that new ownership all of Orioles Nation wants to know and I want to know when is that massive contract coming gunar give it to me baby is there any has any talks happened when’s it coming I I have not heard anything as of yet so yeah just going to continue to go out there and play my game um just try to help team win each and every night and then that’ll take care of itself down the road let’s get some money in this man’s pocket please I can’t wait to see I can’t wait to see you in an ori’s uniform hopefully for a long long time to come but uh this year I think you guys have been a little bit banged up to start the season obviously once Corbin was added bradish goes down a little bit after that doesn’t start the season with the team uh obviously some injuries here and there so far throughout the season missing chunks of Time how have you guys been able to not only stay afloat with guys out but you’ve continued to be one of the best teams in the American League and that’s not easy to do especially when some some key players go down for chunks of time yeah um I mean some of the pitchers they’ve been uh just Nails I mean they’ve been able to go from like Irving and Suarez they’ve been able to go to starter Ro to reliever role and they’ve been really doing well at both and that’s just credit to them for um just being being like hey I don’t care what I do just I’m gonna go out there and try to do my job and help the team win it’s been really cool seeing everybody just kind of Build Together kind of the same situation whenever Felix went down it seemed like everybody was stepping up and knew that had to uh step up in a big way and I feel like that’s the same thing that’s just Testament to our team um they just go out there and doesn’t matter who it is it seems like somebody else is going to come through in a big way on any given night so that’s it’s really fun being able to watch it and be a part of it speaking of rolls at the the back end of the bullpen we talked about them earlier but with Craig Kimbrell have you ever faced kemell I actually did I got to face him in Philly last year so I I’ve I think I’ve told this story on here before but when I was in the minor leagues I I went up to play in a big league spring training game he was still with the Braves so he was I mean he was like Prime Time Craig kemell and I get up in the Box I never faced him but you always you know he has that thing and and it’s always looked intimidating but I get in the box and it it’s like he didn’t even look to get a sign he was just doing that staring into my soul and I feel like I was punched out before he even threw the first pitch it’s a pretty intimidating it back yeah I mean yeah being from uh Alabama growing up I mean watching watching him or Atlanta’s the closest team so that was the games that we would get as the home Fox Sports and it was H it’s pretty cool being able to it’s kind of Full Circle being able to watch him do that and when I was at a young age and then being able to play with him down the road is uh it’s pretty special he’s he’s from Alabama as well so it’s pretty cool um being able to share that in common with him yeah I’m also I’m I’m from Virginia and Nationals weren’t around when I was when I was like born and getting into baseball so at the time the Braves were on TBS every single night for me I I was a massive Braves fan same sort of thing was watching Kimbrell was a fan of that whole team and organization and then to face him I I do I think I might have pooped my pants in the Box a little bit that day it it is a scary at Batman yeah it’s fun it’s it’s pretty cool he’s a he’s an awesome dude and just an unreal unreal pitcher so I I’ve been saying for I don’t know I feel like a while now that there’s a specific blueprint I think to win in Major League Baseball playoffs and that involves having two studs at the top of the rotation a third good starter and then a good back into the bullpen and I feel like that was all addressed that you went and got Corin Burns now being able to pair him with not only bradish but Grayson Rodriguez has nasty nasty playoff stuff so it it looks to me the rotation in good shape adding Kimbrell to the back end of the bullpen um it just felt like everything was addressed from from last year which you guys were the best team in the American League and end up in the number one seed but didn’t end up winning a game in the playoffs and and going home so when you look back on last year obviously a lot of young guys in that lineup what was learned from the postseason I mean what what did you guys take away as a team or or maybe just you personally what did you learn from playing in playoff baseball yeah uh I honestly really enjoyed the the atmosphere uh I mean I knew it was going to be like electric crowds and stuff but I I really enjoyed it um I mean just being able to hear like I’ll tell you a quick story is when I first got signed to um or went to Oriol the to get signed I guess out of the draft yeah um sitting in the sitting in the stadium hearing that first o it actually made me jump and then um all all I could think about during like minor league ten years stuff and um until I got to the big leagues was being able to hear that o in the playoffs because um just seeing that crowd in I think it was 2014 when I think it was D and young hit that double oh I remember packed out yeah I was uh I was really looking forward that was something I was looking forward to was heing the O during playoff baseball so being able to see that crowd and hear that first o it was pretty special to me but um yeah the experiences in playoffs it was it was Unreal I felt really comfortable locked in during that and it was yeah looking forward to getting back into that atmosphere do you think so the second you experience the O and you build it up in your brain and you’re going through the minors and you’re like all I want is to get back to get to the playoffs and be able to hear it so obviously you set the bar pretty high for it when you did experience that when you did get into the playoffs was it did it blow you away was it everything you thought it would be yeah it gave me chills I mean that’s awesome you can’t really put it into perspective until you’re actually there but uh yeah they they do it well and uh that’s just something that’s one little minor thing that I like uh here in every game they just even on the road you know how many Oriol fans they are on the road so it’s it’s pretty cool you know I was there for that 2014 series The delman Young series Tigers that’s some tough memories man yeah yeah uh bitter Bittersweet on your end you were you so you were there you weren’t there for that were you no I just saw videos and stuff of it they would always pop up especially when it got closer to like playoff time for us it was always popping up on my Instagram and stuff yeah well I got a couple couple questions for you before we finish up here some fun ones and uh I like to I like to get the the fans involved in in questions and see what what they want to know from you as well so first one for you if you were to put down put together your alltime infield we’ll go first all the way around first base second base Third Base shortstop what are you doing okay um first base I gotta go on I love Big Poppy gotta put him first base let’s see second base we have to go Craig bizio I look he just seems like a grinder yeah short [Music] stop let’s see trying to think about who who I want feel like I feel like one of the more obvious answers would be Derek Jeter okay then we’ll go Third Base trying to think my favorite favorite third baseman feel like we might have the same answer here you might just not be thinking about it yet I I think I’m gonna put po holes there oh okay I was going chipper I like phol so that’s a that’s a great call I also thought you might go yourself a shortstop yeah well we go all we’re going all time right now so maybe down hopefully down the I’m hoping yeah uh this year if you could personally I know I know the team goals for you guys is to win a World Series that’s you got a taste of the playoffs last year this year you want to win the World Series but for yourself personally what are what are your goals this year last year you had a unbelievable season it was fantastic this year you’ve had a great start to this season what would you say personally your goals are for this year um I don’t like to put uh like a number specific goal ex I don’t like I’ve only been here for I guess a year and a half closing in on two so I don’t really know what what to expect fully but um yeah I just like to go out there and just um honestly the biggest thing for me was just staying staying confident all here and um honestly just trying to stay comfortable and just really allow the game to come to me uh not trying to go out there and over or like do too much or try to be perfect because I felt like I got caught up in that early last year was trying to be perfect and everything this year I just going out there being aggressive and trying to let the game come to me and um really kind of sticking to the process and just embracing the ups and downs of the Season trying to stay consistent that was uh that was something that I want to want to do came spring training um I mean it was nice being able to go in spring training not trying to feel like I have to be making the team out of spring and just really sticking to a process of what I felt like I needed to do in the box and get myself ready and I felt like I’ve carried that into this year just trying to I guess stick to a good process come up with good plans for pitchers and I feel like that’s been the biggest thing for me is just sticking to that every day and the numbers will take care of themselves at the end of the year it’s got to be cool to know in essence that your process is working right at the beginning of of last year when you struggled you would really struggle and like you said it felt like you were behind O2 and and you were out before you even got up there and then fast forward to this year when you feel like your process isn’t yet perfect or that you’re a little bit off you’re still having success just not yet the success that you believe you could have which I don’t know the evolution of that in one year I think speaks volumes to you and the hitter you are that your struggles are your struggles are are less than they were but the success is is greater than that’s got to be a really cool feeling to have yeah I mean um I feel like only good things can come from those those failures if you uh if you embrace it and just learn from it um mean in time it it sucks but um for me both both times that I had major struggles in the minor leagues and the big leagues is uh really helped me down the road and I feel like just embracing it and then uh just kind of accepting it yeah is a biggest thing and using it for your future career gunar always a lot of fun man I always I always love having you on and talking baseball and and catching up so I appreciate you always taking the time it means a ton and always rooting for you out there man I appreciate thank you for having me on Ben of course man see you all right I just wanted to thank gunar Henderson again for joining me always a great conversation I had him on last year and and to have him on again when he’s having the year he is uh obviously a big fan of his on the field and what he brings but seriously off the field he’s he’s just a great dude I love catching up with him and I love the success he’s having this year and I absolutely loved his answer about Corbin Burns’s cutter I was dying laughing that was awesome uh seriously though what what we talked about at the end I do think is is really cool as an evolution of a hitter you know like looking back on on my career it was just a a roller coaster of ups and downs and it’s really hard to break out of those downs and and get back up so what he was able to do last year and getting out of it and this year his struggles if you will or him just not feeling right is a pretty damn good baseball player you know which is really cool and and now he’s playing at an MVP caliber level so uh really cool to see the evolution he’s had when while he’s so young and and still so new to this game I think the future is is bright and I know we talked about it and joked around about it for a second but uh if the Orioles don’t lock him up for a long long time to come they are doing something wrong but I wanted to thank Gunner again for joining me also want to thank every one of you for listening please make sure you subscribe follow wherever you listen to your podcast hit that button it really helps Apple Spotify wherever you can also watch everything we do every episode on Spotify you can watch on our YouTube channel flip and B pod there uh and follow us on Tik Tok we put some really really cool stuff out there and we’re trying trying to get to 100,000 followers we’re getting close so thank you all really appreciate it we will be back soon but thanks again to gonar Henderson and until next time my friends remember find your bat and flip it peace
Ben Verlander welcomes the Baltimore Orioles young superstar Gunnar Henderson to the show. Ben and Henderson discuss the Orioles hot start to the season and the impact that bringing in veterans such as Corbin Burnes and Craig Kimbrel has had on the team. The pair then break down the Orioles’ new ownership and the energy they’ve brought to the team and Henderson explains what the postseason experience was like last season.
#FlippinBats #MLB #Orioles
SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander content: https://www.youtube.com/flippinbatspod?sub_confirmation=1
Listen to the Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander podcast on Apple Podcasts: http://foxs.pt/fbpod_YT
Listen to the Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander podcast on Spotify: http://foxs.pt/fbpod_YT_Spot
The all-new FOX Sports App, built for the modern sports fan: https://tinyurl.com/y4uouolb
►FOX Sports YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FoxSports
Like Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flippinbatspod/
Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on TikTok:
@flippinbatspod
Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@flippinbatspod
Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinBatsPod
Follow Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flippinbatspod/
Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson on Corbin Burnes’ impact, lessons from the 2023 playoffs & more
2 comments
How far will the Orioles go in the playoffs this year?
Great interview. Gunnar is a beast on MLB The Show. Crazy he's so young