The shoulder impingement likely played a role in what Henderson would consider a more pedestrian season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think some of that kind of stemmed to where I couldn\u2019t plane out as early as I wanted to and just kind of chopped down on the ball,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When Henderson describes his plane, he means the tilt of his swing and how quickly his bat gets into a position that mirrors that of the pitch. While the pitch is moving high to low out of a pitcher\u2019s hand, a batter\u2019s swing ideally moves low to high (not extremely but noticeably). <\/p>\n
It should be somewhat of an uppercut to better lift the baseball. For instance, Statcast characterizes the ideal attack angle of a swing as 5 to 20 degrees at the point of contact. That upward angle is flat enough to produce line drives but steep enough to pop home runs.<\/p>\n
The benefits of getting the bat on an ideal attack angle earlier are multifold. It can increase the chances of contact, in that, even if a batter\u2019s timing is off, the bat is in the zone long enough to where late or early movement isn\u2019t as penalized. Finding an early plane can increase hard contact and power numbers, too.<\/p>\n
With the shoulder impingement, Henderson\u2019s swing was subtly different. His average attack angle remained within the 5-to-20-degree range, but it dipped to 7 degrees in May, compared to 10 degrees the first month of the season. In 2024, Henderson\u2019s average attack angle was as steep as 12 degrees in April.<\/p>\n
His average swing path tilt dipped, too. A 0-degree tilt would be perfectly flat, while a 90-degree tilt would be like a golf swing. The average bat tilt is about 32 degrees, Statcast says, but Henderson\u2019s tilt flattened slightly to 28 in August 2025, down from 31 in May 2024.<\/p>\n
All of that may have played a role in what Henderson has described as somewhat of a down season, even though he led the Orioles in multiple offensive categories. He hit 20 fewer home runs than 2024 (37 vs. 17), and his on-base-plus-slugging percentage dropped from .893 to .787.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut looking back on it,\u201d Henderson said, \u201cI\u2019m proud of the way it turned out at the end, being able to put together that season with not feeling 100%. Looking forward to getting back to feeling 100% healthy this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henderson will begin playing meaningful games earlier this year because of his participation with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He said coaches for the national team told him he will move around the infield some and that \u201cwhoever is swinging it best\u201d at the time will start games.<\/p>\n
![\"Baltimore](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WUUOCFQZ2JF6NCWUYZXRMUJWPQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Gunnar Henderson will play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. (Ulysses Mu\u00f1oz\/The Banner)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a crowded infield on Team USA. Alongside Henderson are shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., third basemen Alex Bregman and second baseman Brice Turang. Ernie Clement, a utilityman, is also on the roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m super honored to be able to wear our country across our chest,\u201d Henderson said.<\/p>\n
Perhaps a championship there will only be the first for Henderson in 2026.<\/p>\n
Kjerstad returning<\/p>\n
The path for outfielder Heston Kjerstad has been arduous, but he is expected to be a full participant in spring training next month, manager Craig Albernaz said.<\/p>\n
Kjerstad missed the second half of last season with an undisclosed issue. The team initially described it as fatigue. A source with direct knowledge declined to specify what caused Kjerstad\u2019s absence but noted that he is \u201ccompletely healthy\u201d and the issue is \u201cfully resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kjerstad has faced multiple setbacks early in his professional career. After Baltimore selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft, Kjerstad was sidelined due to myocarditis<\/a>, which is inflammation of a heart muscle. He didn\u2019t play in the minors until 2022.<\/p>\n Kjerstad played parts of 2023, 2024 and 2025 in Baltimore, but a concussion in 2024 prevented him from appearing more. Early in Albernaz\u2019s reign, the manager said his conversations with Kjerstad have been positive.<\/p>\n