On the evening of June 3, 2019, roughly 50 people gathered in the backyard of a single-family home in Valley Grande, Ala. The sun was still high on a 92-degree day that showed no signs of cooling down as the group stood around the pool, munching on chips, dip, and pizza.
Kerry and Allen Henderson had been hesitant about attending the party. Hosted by a friend, it was a watch party for Major League Baseball’s annual draft, and their 17-year-old son, Gunnar, was among those hoping to be selected. They were anxious, and wondered if they should have just watched at home. But the host, Terry Waters, had thrown batting practice to Gunnar for MLB scouts who came to their small neighboring town, Selma, which has roughly 16,000 people. Waters and many others in the area felt invested in the outcome of the draft.
Gunnar was a consensus first-round pick, a powerful 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop at John T. Morgan Academy, who had been named Alabama’s top high school basketball player. Mock drafts had him going between picks 14 and 25. Pick No. 25 was “the floor,” per The Athletic’s draft expert Keith Law.
The party was in full swing as the first 10 picks flashed on a big flat screen showing the MLB Network’s live broadcast. Then people began to pay closer attention. The Phillies, who told Henderson they would take him at No. 14 if college shortstop Bryson Stott wasn’t available, got their top choice. Three picks later, the Nationals, who had hosted a private workout for Henderson, went with pitcher Jackson Rutledge. The Dodgers used pick No. 25 on Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese.
The names kept ticking off. The group kept waiting. The Yankees had always preferred another high school shortstop, Anthony Volpe, and took him – the eighth shortstop drafted – at No. 30. A faction of Houston’s scouting department wanted Henderson, but the Astros ultimately selected Cal catcher Korey Lee with pick No. 32.
Every team but Boston, which didn’t have a first-round pick that year, passed on Henderson. The Pirates passed on him twice, as did the Dodgers. Arizona and Tampa Bay passed on him three times each. The athleticism was enticing, as were Henderson’s raw tools, but he wasn’t a sure bet. He hadn’t fared that well on the recent summer circuit. The Astros weren’t sure he could make enough contact and stick at shortstop, and the Dodgers had concerns about his swing and lack of domination against the weaker competition Henderson faced in Selma. Team after team didn’t want to take the risk.
When the Texas Rangers took Baylor third baseman David Wendzel with pick No. 41, the broadcast of the draft ended — only the first round and nine compensatory/competitive balance picks were televised — and the TV was switched to another channel.
A pall fell over the party. Kerry fought back tears. Allen felt sick. Eventually, Gunnar and his parents tried to lighten the mood, reminding everyone of the fallback plan.
“We’re going to Auburn!” the trio announced. The group cheered.
Henderson, still just 23, has amassed more than 9 WAR in a dominant follow-up to his Rookie of the Year 2023 season. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Gunnar Henderson never made it to Auburn.
The 23-year-old is one of the top five players in Major League Baseball, by FanGraphs WAR. He’s the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, an All-Star and the face of the Baltimore Orioles, a team widely regarded as being in the early phases of a potential dynasty. The O’s will begin the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, and their shortstop — coming off one of the best single seasons in Orioles history — will take center stage.
Henderson was drafted with the first pick in the second round and is one of the bigger scouting misses in recent memory. Most of the prospects drafted before Henderson are still in the minors, or struggling to prove they belong in the big leagues. Only No. 2 pick Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals has been as impactful a hitter.
“Every city we go to, you talk to other coaches who are like ‘How did this guy last that long?” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.
Henderson’s rise highlights the imperfect nature of the draft, as teams repeatedly talked themselves out of a talented but risky high school player. It’s also a developmental success story, as the plan Baltimore crafted for Henderson, including an unorthodox approach during the pandemic, set him up to arrive and produce in the majors earlier than expected.