"THE BRUTAL FALL OFF OF GUNNAR HENDERSON HAS BEEN SHOCKING TO WITNESS" BY MADE THE CUT

The video analyzes the shocking decline in overall production from Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson following his elite 2024 season (0:00).

The Decline in Production
Elite 2024 Base: Henderson finished fourth in MVP voting in 2024, posting 37 home runs, 21 stolen bases, an .893 OPS, and a 155 OPS+ (0:00).
2025 Drop-off: His home run count fell to 17, and his OPS dropped by more than 100 points (0:32).
2026 Struggles: Through 130 games, he is hitting a stark .220/.303/.395 with a below-average 97 OPS+ and is on pace for under 3 WAR (0:45).
Stable Metrics: His base running and average defensive fielding have remained steady and are not the cause of his decline (1:07).

Core Hitting Issues
The video highlights three main factors behind his hitting struggles:
Fewer Meatball Swings: His swing rate at "meatballs" (pitches right down the middle) dropped from a league-average 76.2% to a below-average 67.6%, causing him to miss out on easy pitches to crush (1:23).
Decreased Bat Speed: His average swing velocity dropped from 76.2 mph to 74.4 mph over the last two years, resulting in a parallel drop in hard contact and quality of contact metrics (1:54).
Struggles Against Four-Seam Fastballs: In 2025, he batted .327 and slugged .530 against four-seamers (2:13). In 2026, those numbers plummeted to a .168 average and .288 slugging percentage, while his hard-hit rate against them dropped by 12% (2:24).

Conclusion
The narrator notes a minor positive—Henderson's pulled air rate rose by 8%, explaining why he is still managing home runs despite worse contact (3:05). Ultimately, his regression is attributed to a combination of slower bat speed and zone passivity (2:45). The video concludes that Henderson must find a way to timing-correct against common fastballs if he wants to help the Orioles stay relevant in the AL wild-card race (3:16).

Swing & Plate Discipline
 Bat Speed: 74.4 mph (75th percentile). While still above average, this drop from his prior peak has altered his coverage against elite fastballs (1:54).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7t3CqL1hes