Question: What happened to the superstar 8.8 WAR Gunnar Henderson. Are we ever going to get superstar level quality from him again? From: @ifollowonlyos.bsky.social

Answer: In 2023, when Henderson had an 8.8 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), he hit .281 with an .893 OPS, 37 home runs and 92 RBIs, he also had a 1.9 Defensive WAR.

Through Tuesday’s game, Henderson had a 1.4 WAR with just an .1 Defensive WAR.

I think Henderson will have a better second half than first half, but I’m guessing that his 2023 season will be hard to duplicate. I’m hoping that his defense will improve markedly in the second half, and so will his offense.

Question: Mike Elias and all his optimistic comments isn’t helping. He just needs to be honest. The Orioles seem to need a leader in uniform and in a suit. As far as a uniformed leader, do you see one? I don’t think Henderson or Rutschman have it in them. I was hoping Alonso could be the leader, but perhaps he’s still too new to the team? From: Craig Askins

Answer: Craig, I think Pete Alonso is the clubhouse leader as well as the leader on the field, but he can only do so much. He often calls meetings on the mound and takes a leadership role on defense.

I don’t think leadership is the problem with the Orioles. It’s the players’ performance. Alonso is delivering. Others need to.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: [email protected]. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.