More on first-time Orioles All-Stars Henderson and Westburg

The break begins today for most players in the majors.

The exceptions already are gathering in Arlington, Texas.

Gunnar Henderson is prepping for tonight’s Home Run Derby, attempting to become the third Orioles representative to win it after Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 and Miguel Tejada in 2004. Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton will pitch to Henderson following their practice session at Camden Yards.

Britton passed through the clubhouse yesterday morning and joked how the Tides won their past two games and might not want him back. Fundamentals coach Ramón Sambo and hitting coach Mike Montville have managed the club in Britton’s absence.

Not at the same time, though.

American League manager Bruce Bochy will announce his starting pitcher this afternoon. Corbin Burnes has a shot if he’s attending.

No one told us whether he’s accepting the invitation. We’re just assuming that he’s on the staff.

The Orioles introduced their All-Stars before yesterday’s game, having them stand along the first base line to receive jerseys. Burnes didn’t appear on the field and wasn't seen in the clubhouse. Perhaps he’s home in Arizona with wife Brooke and their twin daughters before he leaves for a few days.

Henderson was the last player to exit the dugout to a loud ovation. He’s the AL’s starting shortstop five years after the Orioles drafted him out of John T. Morgan Academy in Selma, Ala., and one year after his unanimous selection as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

“I would never, especially down in the 42^nd pick in the draft, be able to take a guy and say, ‘Oh, it’s going to be what Gunnar’s doing right now in a few years.’ The draft’s not like that. But we saw the ingredients for this possibility,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

Elias began to list them.

“The youth that he had, the power, the bat-to-ball skills, the incredible athleticism,” Elias said. “He was like a state basketball Player of the Year in Alabama. You’d see him run down the line with plus-plus speed, and you saw that there was some rawness at the plate that you could get into and improve. And our hitting department did a phenomenal job cleaning up the kinesiology in his swing a little bit, teaching him how to work the strike zone.

“But I think above all with him to take away is the makeup that he had all along and the work ethic and the wiring. That’s what’s brought him this far and it's been a real treat to see, and it’s, I think to me, one of the better draft-and-development things that I’ve been a part of. So we’re really proud of him.”

Henderson’s 28 home runs match last year’s total in 55 fewer games. He’s tied with Nelson Cruz in 2014 and Mark Trumbo in 2016 for the third-most before the break in Orioles history behind Chris Davis’ 37 in 2013 and Brady Anderson’s 30 in 1996.

The teardown started in the summer of 2018 with trades of Manny Machado, Zack Britton, Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman, Darren O’Day and Brad Brach, but actual work with the rebuild began after Elias’ hiring in November.

One of the most important tasks that would shape the franchise was making the right calls in his first draft. He absolutely could not whiff.

Deciding between Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with the first-overall selection was bound to net a winner, but other successes had to be achieved in ensuing rounds to implement the plan. Can’t build a pipeline with one or two prospects.

“We needed a big draft in 2019 with where we were organizationally and a lot of it’s luck with the draft, but it really kind of came through at the right time with those picks. And we don’t want a do-over. We’ll take that result,” Elias said.

“I’m happy with those two guys and I think it’s rebranded our entire organization, the way those two guys approach their craft and what they do for this team and who they are for this team. To have that all happen in the same draft, but with the first two picks in the same draft, is really cool.”

Jordan Westburg arrived in 2020 as the 30^th-overall pick out of Mississippi State University, the next Orioles choice after outfielder Heston Kjerstad went second overall. He was an All-Star finalist at third base in his first full season, got snubbed in the selection of reserves and became a late injury replacement.

The news “thrilled” Mansolino.

“Westy’s interesting because Westy’s a first-round pick. He’s a high-profile guy. But his mentality and who he is is much more of a grinder,” Mansolino said.

“I think it’s kind of how you take Westy day-to-day. We knew Westy was a good player. That’s why he was drafted so high. But to see the guy go through the minor league system at the speed of which he did, with the mentality and I guess just the character that he has, it just kind of gives everybody the feeling of it’s a little bit of an underdog story I guess in some ways, even though it really isn’t because he’s a super-talented player who’s also a very high-profile player internally for us.”

Being low key is how Westburg likes it.

Stay tuned for articles from this afternoon’s All-Star Game interview sessions and the Home Run Derby, with Henderson trying to become the youngest winner. Juan González was 23 years, eight months and 23 days in 1993.