Gunnar Henderson talks all things Baltimore Orioles and the upcoming MLB season
Gunnar Henderson stops by to talk about the upcoming season with the Orioles and being on the cover of MLB The Show 25.
Sports Seriously
After the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs opened the campaign in Tokyo, Major League Baseball’s 2025 season gets underway with a full opening day on Thursday, March 27.
The New York Yankees look to repeat as American League champions, coming off the franchise’s first World Series trip since 2009. It was a wild offseason for the team, which lost the bidding war for Juan Soto, responded by acquiring a $218 million ace, two former MVPs and baseball’s best closer – but then lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery during spring training.
Other teams expected to contend for the AL crown include the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians.
Here’s a look at the keys to victory for every AL team in 2025:
American League East
(Originally appeared in USA TODAY Sports Weekly)
Injury I: The Orioles can’t afford to lose Gunnar Henderson for any length of time, but his availability for opening day may be in question. The All-Star shortstop was diagnosed with a mild right intercostal strain, an injury he sustained in a spring game. No player has been as valuable in the lineup over the past two seasons than Henderson. The 2023 American League Rookie of the Year finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2024.
Injury II: Grayson Rodriguez’s return tothe rotation will “take a while,” said manager Brandon Hyde. Rodriguez will start the season on the injured list with an elbow issue and will have to fully restart his throwing program all over again, which essentially means he needs to go through spring training all over again. When healthy, the 25-year-old is a potential frontline ace. The Orioles are counting on him, given that they’ve lost Corbin Burnes and John Means in free agency.
Payoffs? After quick exits in each of the previous two seasons, it’s time to capitalize on their recent regular-season success. The O’s took a huge hit losing Cy Young pitcher Burnes to Arizona, but they added Charlie Morton. They also added catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who hopefully can displace Anthony Santander. But the key could come down to catcher Adley Rutschman. The two-time All-Star catcher hopes to get back to the production he showed prior to the All-Star Game last July.
– Scott Boeck
Enough arms to go around: They’ll begin the year with three starters – Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford – on the injured list. Sure, Giolito just had a barking hamstring, but that it nipped him in his first inning of Grapefruit League work a year after flexor tendon surgery was like a recurring nightmare. Blockbuster trade acquisition Garrett Crochet should be dominant, and Bello (sore shoulder) should be fine. The key to this season might be Walker Buehler, who made 16 starts for the Dodgers last year with wildly varying results before recording the final out of the year to close out the World Series.
Raffy on a rampage: We’ll just go ahead and assume Alex Bregman will bang enough balls off the Green Monster to fully justify his $40 million salary this season. The grander concern will be the health and production of the man he’s likely supplanting at third base – Rafael Devers. They’ll need him strong and healthy all season after a shoulder injury dogged him at the end of last year’s campaign.
The terrific trio touches down: There’s still questions about what kind of role infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony might play this year. Right now, Campbell has the clearest path to a job, should Bregman stick at third base and second base remain available. But Mayer may only be a Trevor Story injury away from a summons from Worcester.
Another MVP-type season: After forming a historic offensive tandem with Juan Soto in 2024, Aaron Judge might find pitchers avoiding him more often. The Yankees’ lineup has better balance with the additions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, and a full year of Jazz Chisholm Jr., but it’s further compromised without Giancarlo Stanton – out indefinitely with elbow issues. In 2024, the Yankees scored 815 runs with Soto. Can they get near 800 runs again?
No more pitching injuries: During spring training, the Yankees went from a starting pitching surplus to a deficit. A week after 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil was diagnosed with a high lat strain, possibly keeping him out of the rotation until July, ace Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery. That puts more responsibility on veteran lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, challenges Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman to stay healthy and productive, and tests the organization’s pitching depth – an area weakened by recent trades. Rookies Will Warren and Yoendrys Gomez, who might begin in the bullpen, could be asked to fill the void before the trade deadline.
Better defense: GM Brian Cashman said: “I thought we were bad defensively’’ in 2024, and the fifth inning breakdown in World Series Game 5 still echoes. Former Gold Glove Award winners in Bellinger and Goldschmidt helps as does moving Chisholm Jr. to second base, his original position.
Take it easy on Shane McClanahan: Tampa Bay’s ace returns from Tommy John surgery, and while he’s probably the team’s most important player, there is enough depth in the rotation that the Rays can afford to give the lefty an extra day between starts here and there. McClanahan, 27, is 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA in 74 starts since his debut in 2021. He won’t be a free agent until the 2027-28 winter.
Let Junior Caminero cook: The 21-year-old didn’t light it up when he was promoted last season, but the Rays expect big things from their young infielder, who hit .307 with a .921 OPS in 282 minor league games. There may be some struggles for Caminero in his first full MLB season, but Tampa Bay needs to stand behind him in 2025 if the team hopes to get back to the postseason after missing out last year. The youngster hit .346 in a small sample size against lefties.
Get Carson Williams to the majors: The organization’s top prospect should start the season at Class AAA and be knocking on the big-league door early in the season. Williams, 21, has averaged more than 21 homers and 27 steals in his first three full years in the minors. Taylor Walls (.188 BA in 379 MLB games) is expected to begin the season as the Rays’ starting shortstop, with Ha-Seong Kim still on the shelf after surgery. Williams has only played short as a pro, but the Rays have positional flexibility in their infield and second baseman Brandon Lowe could serve as the DH.
– Jesse Yomtov
A voracious Vladdy: Toronto’s failure to agree with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a long-term extension was an organizational failure that exacerbated several others in previous years. Yet a short-term gain could be reaped if Guerrero, 26, has a monster season similar to his MVP runner-up performance in 2021. Perhaps he can gift Toronto one more playoff berth.
Maximize the rotation: With lineup stalwarts like George Springer and Bo Bichette struggling through 2024, the onus fell on the starting pitchers to keep Toronto afloat. Now, there’s another year on their collective odometer and lefty Yusei Kikuchi is long gone. Enter Max Scherzer, 40, who made just nine starts last year due to back surgery and other ailments. He hasn’t pitched more than 152 innings since 2021, but if Scherzer can at least provide 25 solid starts, it would greatly stabilize things in the event Kevin Gausman, 34, Chris Bassitt, 36 and soon-to-be 31-year-old Jose Berrios can’t bear the weight of carrying the team.
To heck with it all: After years of bobbing around the 88- to 90-win mark and maybe or probably not making the playoffs, the team could use a loose and nothing-to-lose ethos this summer. Bichette, like Guerrero, is entering a walk year and seems intent on proving his .225/.277/.322 campaign was an aberration. The joyous Anthony Santander has been added to the middle of the lineup. Springer is 35 and entering the final two years of his contract.
– Gabe Lacques
American League Central
New face as manager: The White Sox lost 121 games in 2024 – a single-season MLB record for the modern era (since 1901). It led to manager Pedro Grifol being fired in the middle of his second season. The White Sox tapped Will Venable. The 42-year-old has served as a special assistant to Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein, as well stints as a base coach for the team. Venable also worked as the Boston Red Sox bench coach (2021-22) and as associate manager to Bruce Bochy the past two years.
No trade deficits: Trading ace Garrett Crochet brought an impressive haul of prospects from the Red Sox: catcher Kyle Teel, (No. 25 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline’s top 100), outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez. The sooner any of them can contribute, the better. Most might take time before they yield positive returns, but Teel might be the closest to reaching the majors. Otherwise, the White Sox have high hopes for homegrown prospect shortstop Colson Montgomery (No. 39, per MLB Pipeline), perhaps for an early-season call-up. However, he has dealt with back issues this spring.
Next bargaining chip: Talented but often-injured outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could be the White Sox’s best remaining trade chip. But for that to happen, he must play closer to the level of his 2023 All-Star season (.264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBIs and 20 stolen bases) than his injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
Filling offensive gaps: Replacing Josh Naylor’s production (31 home runs, 108 RBIs in 2024) won’t be easy, but Cleveland is confident Kyle Manzardo is ready to take the next step. Manzardo played 53 regular-season games and hit .316 with a .842 OPS in the postseason. The Guardians also brought back a familiar face in 38-year-old Carlos Santana, who crushed left-handed pitching but put up a .219/.318/.358 line against righties with the Twins last year. Replacing second baseman Andrés Giménez will be more difficult on defense than on offense.
Starters stepping up: Outside of Tanner Bibee, the Guardians’ starting pitching has a ton of question marks. The organization brought back former ace Shane Bieber, but the former Cy Young Award winner won’t be ready until at least June. Gavin Williams didn’t make his season debut until July due to an elbow injury, but the team’s former top pitching prospect has been a spring training standout.
Bullpen dominance: Most of the core pieces are back from a dominant bullpen. Led by closer Emmanuel Clase and lockdown setup guys Cade Smith (1.91 ERA), Hunter Gaddis (1.57 ERA) and Tim Herrin (1.92 ERA), the Guardians led the majors in ERA (2.57), WHIP (1.05) and opponents’ batting average (.203). They were 63-2 when leading after the sixth inning in 2024, and the relievers’ ability to shorten the game for an inexperienced starting staff played a huge role in making it to the ALCS.
– Casey Moore
Hinch wins at chess: Nobody was better than Tigers manager A.J. Hinch at getting all 26 players on the roster – plus another 5 to 10 rotating in from Class AAA – to buy into in-game roster moves that prioritized the team over the individual, especially when it came to matchup advantages with pinch-hitters and the unorthodox pitching strategy with openers and bulk relievers. The buy-in from the players reflects the culture Hinch has instilled throughout his four-year tenure. The Tigers look to continue winning on the margins. The team culture enables Hinch to outmaneuver opposing managers in the chess match.
Leading the rotation: The Tigers won’t continue the “pitching chaos” strategy that helped snap their decade-long postseason drought. Instead, they’re returning to a traditional five-man rotation led by Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson. Skubal will be central to their success as he looks to defend his title as the 2024 AL Cy Young win. The Tigers went 21-10 in his 31 starts last season, but in the 131 games he didn’t start, they finished just 65-66.
Unlocking upside: As the leadoff hitter and center fielder, Parker Meadows has the all-around potential to impact the Tigers more than any other player. In 2024, the Tigers went 49-26 (.653) when he started and 31-11 (.738) when he recorded a hit. He is an elite defender, one of the fastest players on the bases and features high upside on offense.
– Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press
Witt stays healthy: Royals fans’ hearts skipped a beat last week when star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was hit in the forearm by a pitch, sending him to an exam and treatment. X-rays were negative, but the scare underscored how important Witt is to the team’s success. Just 24, he took a huge step forward last season as he claimed the AL batting title (.332) and won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors. Just having Witt on the field makes the Royals a contender, as their second-half run to the postseason (and wild-card sweep of the Orioles) demonstrates. Can he get even better?
India adds offense: Third baseman Maikel Garcia had by far the most at-bats in the leadoff spot in 2024, hitting in front of Witt. However, he managed to post an anemic .281 on-base percentage. That’s where free agent Jonathan India can provide a major upgrade. Though he isn’t a good fit defensively, his .352 career OBP is just the ticket for the offense – combining with Witt to set the table for Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Co.
Mound stability: Thanks to the signing of veteran right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha and midseason acquisition of reliever Lucas Erceg, the Royals greatly improved their pitching over the 2023 version. They went from a 5.17 ERA to 3.76, as Lugo finished second in the Cy Young voting and Cole Ragans coming in fourth. The club solidified the bullpen with the signing of former Angels closer Carlos Estévez.
– Steve Gardner
Solid relief: The Twins may have the best bullpen in baseball. Jhoan Duran returns as the closer, and setup men Griffin Jax and Cole Sands form one of the American League’s best pre-closer combos. And now with the addition of Danny Coulombe, the Twins added a much-needed lefty to a bullpen that is stacked with right-handers. Coulombe, 35, will play a key role. If he can be a lockdown option, the whole unit will look better.
Formidable three: The Twins don’t have an overpowering, Cy Young-contending ace type, but the top three pitchers in their rotation would be the envy of most teams. Right-handed pitchers Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober anchor a solid rotation, followed by Simeon Woods Richardson and Chris Paddock. But the hope is they stay healthy this time around. Paddack and Ryan both suffered season-ending injuries last season and that’s when the wheels fell off.
A healthy Buxton: For the first time in several years, Byron Buxton was able to have a normal offseason. That’s because he finished the 2024 season healthy. Unlike past offseasons, the star center fielder has spent nearly every winter rehabbing or recovering from an injury. This year he is coming off a healthy 2024 campaign and played in 102 games – the most in one season since 2017 when he played in 140 games. He headed into camp with no limitations. But the injury-prone Buxton’s status can change at any moment.
– Scott Boeck
American League West
Commanding home field: The Athletics are spending the next three seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, a minor league stadium with the smallest visiting clubhouse in baseball. The A’s expect the place to be sold out virtually every night. They also should have an advantage knowing the ballpark’s quirks with many players not having any experience playing there.
Butler becoming a star: Outfielder Lawrence Butler emerged as one of the best players in baseball in the second half last season and was rewarded with a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension. Butler showed off his prowess in his final 73 games last season after being demoted to the minors, hitting .302 with a .597 slugging percentage, with 20 home runs and 14 stolen bases. It was quite the turnaround after a .179/.281/.274 slash line in his first 121 plate appearances. He and Brent Rooker, the only players on the team locked up until the team moves to Las Vegas in 2028, could provide quite the powerful 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup.
Leading a young pitching staff: The A’s shelled out a franchise-record $67 million for veteran starter Luis Severino and also traded for left-hander Jeffrey Springs from the Rays. The A’s need Severino and Springs to lead the way. Their experience and presence is needed to help guide a young rotation with Osvaldo Bido, Joey Estes and Mitch Spence combining for only 69 career starts.
– Bob Nightengale
No rain on the Paredes: The franchise seemingly was not hyper-motivated to keep Alex Bregman, and the two-time World Series-winning third baseman clearly had eyes for elsewhere. Those bad vibes can be at least partially washed away if Isaac Paredes showers the Crawford Boxes with home runs. It’s rare that one player shoulders two burdens: Paredes at least partially is expected to replace Bregman at third, and he also was acquired in exchange for Kyle Tucker, the Silver Slugging outfielder who will now patrol right field for the Cubs. Paredes hit 31 homers for the Rays in 2023, a number that dipped to 19 last year with the Rays and Cubs.
Forward march: Justin Verlander is gone, and Framber Valdez can join him as an ex-Astro after this season. So it’s more than imperative that young pitchers such as Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti to alleviate strain on a staff still missing Cristian Javier, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery. Arrighetti made adjustments in pitch usage and calmed the waters, with a 3.69 ERA in his final 21 outings, with 128 strikeouts in 1071/3 innings.
An MVP campaign: Kind of amazing to think that Yordan Alvarez is still just 27 – considered the prime of a slugger’s career. Perhaps only Juan Soto is a better all-around hitter, and perhaps minus Bregman and with the Astros needing him more than ever, Alvarez – who hit 35 homers with a .973 OPS last year – will somehow find an extra gear.
– Gabe Lacques
Trout’s health: If the Angels are going to be competitive, they need Mike Trout, 33. Trout, the three-time MVP, has played only 111 games the past two years and hasn’t played more than 140 games since 2016. Trout hit 10 home runs with 14 RBIs in his first 29 games last year, stealing six bases, but then tore the meniscus in his left knee in late April and suffered the same injury attempting to rehab in the minors. If he can stay healthy, perhaps he can once again resemble the player who hit .308 with a 1.009 OPS, averaging 35 homers and 92 RBIs a year from 2012 to 2019.
Is Moncada the answer at third base? The Angels lost third baseman Anthony Rendon for the season before he played a game, having hip surgery. Now, it’s Yoan Moncada’s turn. The Angels signed the veteran to a one-year,$5 million contract after being a bust with the Chicago White Sox. If he can’t cut it, they could turn to utilityman Kevin Newman. Moncada produced a .254 batting average, a .331 on-base percentage, and one 20-homer season for the White Sox, never stealing more than 12 bases. He played in 12 games last season because of a left adductor strain.
A lethal bullpen? Ben Joyce, who has been lighting up the radar gun this spring camp, hitting 105 mph on his four-seam fastball. He would normally be the closer but they also signed veteran closer Kenley Jansen (447 career saves) to provide confidence to a young team learning how to win.
– Bob Nightengale
Who’s on third? The Mariners are trying their third different third baseman in four years with Jorge Polanco. Polanco, who re-signed as a free agent on a one-year, $7.75 million contract, is trying to learn the position after knee surgery but realizes it’s a gamble. He’s just one of eight third basemen the Mariners have used this spring. They believe he can bounce back after badly struggling last season with a career-low .651 OPS and career-high 29.2% strikeout rate.
Bounce-back from J.P. Crawford: He was limited to just 105 games and hit a career-low .202 with a career-low .625 OPS, while his strikeout percentage climbed to 22.6%. This spring, he believes he found his groove again in the batting cage, rediscovering strength in the lower half of his body. If he can return to his 2023 form when he hit a career-high 19 homers and ranked second among all shortstops with a .818 OPS, he can be the difference on whether the Mariners are playing in October.
Healthy starting pitching: The Mariners used just six starters in 161 games last season, producing the lowest ERA in MLB. Yet they already sustained a key injury this spring to George Kirby, who will open the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. If Kirby’s stay on the IL is longer than two weeks, the Mariners will be relying on 25-year-old Emerson Hancock, the sixth pick in the 2020 draft. Hancock made 12 starts last season, yielding a 4.75 ERA in 602/3 innings.
– Bob Nightengale
Rotation, rotation, rotation: The Rangers boast one of the best rotations in the majors. Jackon DeGrom is back for (hopefully) a full season after Tommy John surgery. Tyler Mahle is back from Tommy John surgery, too. Nathan Eovaldi re-signed and Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are promising rookies. But they need deGrom to stay healthy. The two-time Cy Young winner hasn’t pitched 100 innings in a season and has started only 47 games since 2019. His workload will be monitored closely and he may skip a start to keep him healthy. Texas suffered a setback with left-hander Cody Bradford starting the season on the injured list.
Closing time: Who replaces Kirby Yates, the All-Star closer who saved 33 games and had a1.17 ERA in 2024? The Rangers rebuilt their bullpen and added on several arms via trades and free agency, such as Chris Martin, Jacob Webb, Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Robert Garcia and Shawn Armstrong. With that being said, there’s no telling who of this group will come out being the closer. Martin, 38, is the most experienced reliever of the group, and Webb pitched a handful of high-leverage innings in Baltimore.
Adding pop: Looking to increase the power in their lineup, the Rangers acquired Jake Burger from the Marlins and signed Joc Pederson in free agency. Burger will take over first base with the loss of Nathaniel Lowe. Pederson will slide into the DH spot, where they got little production over the last few seasons.
– Scott Boeck
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