Calling the Pen: WBC slight might be a driving force for Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson

It’s frustrating when managers appear to base their decisions strictly on analytics rather than their instincts. What else could explain why Team USA manager Mark DeRosa left his hottest hitter on the bench in the World Baseball Classic final against Venezuela?

We’re talking about Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who carried .a 429 batting average along with a 1.358 OPS, two home runs and four RBIs into the title game, only to watch from the bench until the ninth, when he popped out as pinch-hitter in the 3-2 loss. DeRosa elected to go with Alex Bregman at third, where Henderson was playing on occasion because Bobby Witt Jr. was the full-time shortstop. Bregman was hitting just .182 with a .694 OPS but had better lifetime numbers against starting left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez; he went 0-for-3 as Team USA struggled on offense, scoring only in the eighth on a clutch two-run homer by Bryce Harper that tied the game, 2-2.

Henderson had hit a similar clutch home run in the semifinal against the Dominican Republic and had gone 4-for-5 with two RBIs against Great Britain. Still, DeRosa wasn’t convinced he belonged in the starting lineup for the final.

As someone who has followed the Orioles since baseball became a passion, I wanted to see Henderson, and was disappointed that DeRosa didn’t recognize the spark he had provided. Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who played for Team Canada, also was surprised.

“It’s kind of crazy not seeing him play as much as he should be out there,” said O’Neill, whose team lost to Team USA, 5-3. “His skill speaks for itself. He should be starting on any team.”

Team USA looked flat throughout the game, not matching the energy that Venezuela brought to the championship. The joy and emotion the Venezuelan players and coaches expressed after the victory was heartfelt.

Henderson was watching from the second row of Team USA’s dugout. It symbolized how he seemed to be regarded even though the 24-year-old is one of the best and most electric players in the game.

Before the tournament, I had been thinking that new first baseman Pete Alonso might be the catalyst for the 2026 Orioles. But I’m wondering if Henderson will take his game to a higher level after being a part-time player for Team USA.

Great players look for an edge to drive themselves even harder. Michael Jordan was famous for turning real or imagined slights into fuel for his greatness. DeRosa might have given Henderson that fuel.