Henderson announces he will participate in Home Run Derby

Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson told a national TV audience watching tonight’s "Sunday Night Baseball" game on ESPN that he will take part in the Home Run Derby competition during All-Star week in Texas on Monday, July 13.

Henderson was mic'd up on the field at shortstop during the top of third inning and was asked about the Derby.

"I will be doing the Home Run Derby in Texas," he said during the broadcast.

Henderson seems to be a lock to play in the All-Star Game and may be the starting shortstop for the American League. He led AL shortstops with 2,664,120 votes when Phase 1 voting ended. Phase 2 voting is now underway where he will face Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. as voting continues to determine the starter at short. He is vying for his first career All-Star Game selection and would be the first Orioles shortstop selected to the game since Manny Machado in 2018.

Henderson began tonight batting .292/.388/.612/.1.000 with 17 doubles, four triples, 26 homers, 73 runs and 58 RBIs. He leads the major leagues in runs and FanGraph’s Wins Above Replacement (6.1) and is tied for second in home runs.

O’s catcher Adley Rutschman participated in the 2023 Derby at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, the closest major league ballpark to his hometown of Sherwood, Ore., and the first big league park he ever visited. He hit 20 homers left-handed in the first round before hitting seven more right-handed during the 30-second bonus round. He lost to White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr.

Trey Mancini finished as the runner-up in 2021 at Coors Field in Colorado behind Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who repeated as champion.

Two Orioles have won the Home Run Derby: Miguel Tejada in 2004 in Houston and Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 in Toronto.