Gunnar Fly Now
Gunnar Henderson (BAL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
A few years ago, Gunnar Henderson was looking like the future of the shortstop position. He put up 7.9 fWAR in 2024, which is certainly good enough to be an MVP-caliber season, if not for the fact that Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr.. were having historic years. And those two names, I think, have been a big part of why Henderson hasn’t popped off as much as a household name. He can’t be the best player in the AL East with an unshakable Judge, and he can’t be the best shortstop when competing with THE perfect baseball player in Witt.
It also doesn’t help that Henderson hasn’t been able to recapture the magic that he once had. He’s been pretty below-average this season. He once seemed like a guy who could eclipse the .400 on-base percentage mark; now, he’s sub-.300. Was 2024 just a flash in the pan? Orioles fans sure hope not.
Let’s talk positives. Home runs. Henderson hit two of them today, bringing his total up to 13 on the season. The Orioles were a horrific power-hitting team last season, a major reason (outside of the pitching) that they couldn’t compete like they had the previous few years. Even with the struggles this year, Henderson is hitting at a 38 home run pace over a 162-game season. This is a significant increase over his 2025 campaign, where he hit less than half of that.
Henderson finished his day with a statline of 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. The Orioles really poured on the runs, and Henderson drove in three of them. This series was a major step in the right direction for the Orioles, and Henderson looked better than ever in its third game.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Wednesday:
Blaze Alexander (BAL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 6 RBI.
Should I have opened with Blaze Alexander? Perhaps, though I feel he’s less fantasy-relevant. This game, though, wow! Wow, wow, wow. This was an unbelievable showing in the stat column from the Orioles utilityman. This game almost doubled his RBI total on the year, which is pretty impressive, even if it shows he didn’t have many knocks before. He evenly split his 6 RBI amongst his three hits, scoring two on the single his first time up, two on the double his third time up, and he drove in two with his home run that was the cherry on top of an Orioles blowout of the Rays. His first name is fitting, as his game relies on speed. Both sprint speed on the bases, and in terms of exit velocities. Don’t expect a game like this often (or maybe even ever again), but I think that Alexander can be a decent player for the Orioles.
Xavier Edwards (MIA): 3-3, 2B, R, BB, 2 SB.
What a fun player Xavier Edwards is. I’ll admit, I had my doubts. I think we all did. Those crafty slap-hitter types can go cold quickly, and it can really hurt fantasy teams. But with statlines like this, it’s clear that he isn’t going cold anytime soon! This is a standard Edwards game. In the first at-bat of the game, he fought off pitch after pitch from Gausman, eventually lining a smoking double into right field. He got on base in every appearance today, collecting two more singles and walking in the third inning. He also was able to make the most of his time on base, scoring in the first and grabbing two bags later in the game. He’s quickly becoming a do-it-all guy and one of the faces of the Marlins. It’s been great to watch this breakout, as he currently sports a 148 wRC+, and fantasy managers who picked him up for ratios and steals are certainly going to be happy with the all-around production on display.
Otto Lopez (MIA): 4-4, RBI, 2 SB.
If you thought that one twitchy, slap-hitting Marlins infielder was enough… Wait until you see two! I really am a fan of Otto Lopez, and not just because he reps Canada at the World Baseball Classic. He’s really looking like this year’s Geraldo Perdomo, an absolute WARlord at the shortstop position who hits for average, gets a few knocks out of the park here and there and plays good defense. Today, against his home country’s team, he hit four singles, including two with hilariously low exit velocities. He also stole two bases. It’s kind of feeling like Lopez is playing like Edwards this year and Edwards is playing like Lopez, as they’ve switched home run totals based on what would be expected going into the year. It’s hard to choose between them, as Lopez hits the ball harder yet has had less home run luck.
Trea Turner (PHI): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, SB.
A batting average of .250 in a game is not necessarily ideal for a player known for his contact hitting ability, but it actually brings up his average on the season. It’s been tough for Turner this year, but he’s a guy who has been known to turn it around, and he can turn it around quickly. What makes his outing special is that it is a combo meal! He grounded into a forceout in the sixth, but was able to bring the runner from third home and grabbed a stolen base shortly after. He got his second RBI in the ninth with his 382 foot shot pulled into left field. It’s surprising to see such a major drop off from last year for Turner, and that can be attributed to the fact he’s striking out a fair bit more. A lot of his batted ball profile stats, like launch angle and exit velocity, haven’t changed. Here’s to hoping he gets it sorted out.
Colt Emerson (SEA): 2-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI.
There were a lot of productive Mariners in their 9-1 routing of the Athletics in West Sacramento, but perhaps the most fun performance was from the team’s top prospect. There’s so much to like about Colt Emerson, a very toolsy shortstop who has excellent bat-to-ball skills. He’s the type of player who is going to get on base a lot and not strike out often, and will be a threat to put up solid home run totals. This game was a milestone for him, as he hit his first triple on a flyball into right field. Like a lot of triples, it was a bit of a misplay from right fielder Carlos Cortes, but now he has all four types of hit. He has decent wheels so he will probably get more triples in the future, but this is one forever to remember.
Luis Arraez (SFG): 3-4, 2 RBI, SB.
Three singles? That is definitely a Luis Arraez outing. Each of his batted balls was in the 80mph range, which also accentuates the kind of player Arraez is. What’s great about this game, though are the 2 RBI. Despite being a solid hitter for the Giants, his RBI total on the year is ridiculously low. This can be attributed to a lot of things, such as his lack of home runs and position in the lineup. It can also be attributed to the horrible offense that he plays in, which is one of the roughest (if not THE roughest) in the sport. I also like the stolen base, as it’s a part of his game he has really developed over the past couple of years. Arraez is having a much better offensive season this year than either of the ones spent in San Diego, yet he unfortunately doesn’t have a potent offense around him.
Spencer Torkelson (DET): 3-4, 2 2B, HR, R, RBI.
I think we have to get all visions of a first overall pick out of our heads when we talk about Spencer Torkelson. This is who he is, and that’s okay. He’s a maybe slightly above-average hitter at first base, which isn’t a horrible thing to be. He went three-for-four today with a double and a home run, though if this was in a different field, like Dodger Stadium, he would’ve had three home runs. He had the second, third, and fourth furthest hit balls in the game on his three hits, a little cute statistical anomaly that is fun to see. I hope Torkelson can start hitting more home runs, as I’d like to see him become a consistent 30-home-run bat. He definitely can be one.
Joc Pederson (TEX): 3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
2026 has quietly been a really solid year for Joc Pederson, who played arguably the worst baseball of his entire career in his first year with the Rangers. Last night’s game was arguably one of his best showings for the team, as his three runs were the only three the Rangers got. This was partially because he was leading off last night, which is definitely an interesting role for him, but one that makes sense because he does have a high on-base percentage this year. With Joc, you’re getting a guy who can put up some really well-rounded numbers across many offensive categories, especially in on-base leagues. The problem is that he doesn’t run super well, and more importantly, he sits against lefties. He doesn’t have a hit off a southpaw this year, and that’s largely because the team hasn’t entrusted him to stand in the box in matchups against lefties often.
Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
AIR YORDAN IS BACK! I know, it seems crazy to call a player who has been one of the most dominant hitters in MLB “back”, but hear me out. In March/April, he had a 224 wRC+. Going into yesterday, he “only” had a 129. He’s another name on the list of big name players who seemed to struggle in May compared to their standards. Yordan is finishing the month strong though, matching Joc by hitting his 19th and 20th home run in the game. He is now tied for the American league lead and I could easily see him earning the crown by the end of the season. He’s such a well-rounded and productive hitter. Very few players, if any, have his combination of power, contact, and decision-making ability.
Ian Happ (CHC): 2-6, HR, R, 5 RBI.
I think that we, as fans, forget about how steady Ian Happ is. He’s good for a wRC+ between 115 and 125 every season, which equates to a pretty good player. You can really say the same about several of his Cubs teammates, as Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Seiya Suzuki similarly consistently deliver with solid production that doesn’t deviate from the norm. This game was huge in the RBI column for Happ, plating two with a single his first time up and then bringing home three with his home run. This was half of his team’s runs for the day, and I’m not sure if that is more impressive for Happ that he had that many RBI, or the Cubs that his contributions only equated half of the runs. Either way, this is a great outing for Happ and Cubs fans, as well as fantasy managers, should be super pleased.
Munetaka Murakami (CHW): 2-4, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB.
Not so fast, Yordan! Muentaka Murakami is here to tie you for second in home runs. The White Sox absolutely poured it on yesterday, even more so than the Orioles. What made this game special, though, was that this was Murakami’s first combo meal! And actually, it was his first Major League stolen base as well! Murakami stuffed the stat sheet yesterday, grabbing three runs to go along with his solo shot. These kinds of performances make you wonder about his future in the Southside. I’d personally love to see the Sox open up their pocketbooks to keep him, and I think that the incoming ownership would love to see that as well. He’s a star player, one who can hit bombs all over the field and apparently now can even steal bases!
Jarren Duran (BOS): 4-5, HR, 2 R, RBI.
It’s somewhat difficult to diagnose exactly what is wrong with Jarren Duran this season. In 2024, he looked like he was the franchise player, the face of the Red Sox. In 2025, he was just a good player, one whose name was dangled in tons of mock trades for various high-quality starting pitchers. This year, he’s lost his magic. Well, until this game, where he was a hitting machine. Duran started the game with a flyout, which, in three ballparks, would’ve been a home run. He took that personally by assuring that his 8th inning blast would clear the fences in every park in the Majors. Of his four hits, two were hit hard, while two were a bit more bloopy. You take what you get, and Duran certainly is happy with a productive game like this in a routing of Atlanta.
