Gunnar Henderson's elite mindset revealed by hitting coach Ryan Fuller

Gunnar Henderson was named the American League Rookie of the Year award after a stellar season for the Baltimore Orioles. Much of his success can be attributed to his development as a player in the Orioles' farm system over the last few years.

Gunnar Henderson was one of the major reasons why the Orioles qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2016. The rookie who had made his debut last year, had a full season this time around, recording a .255 batting average with 82 RBIs including 28 homers and 10 stolen bases. He had an incredible WAR at 6.2 as the Os enjoyed a 101-win season.

The 22-year-old was one of the youngest players promoted up the ladder in the Baltimore farm system. In 2019, Henderson was chosen to go up against 60 other top prospects at Baltimore's alternate site in Bowie, Maryland.

Despite initial hiccups and bursts of frustration, steady progress followed as Henderson began absorbing the pressure. He was able to take healthy criticism and stood tall to face pitchers who had minor league experience exuding a sense of responsibility and the right mindset, exactly what the Orioles were looking for.

Bench coach Ryan Fuller recounted Henderson's demand and shared a peek into the youngster's elite mindset as he toiled for an opportunity in the big leagues:

"He said, 'Please expose me to as much nasty stuff as you possibly can""

Baltimore Orioles farm system development helped Gunnar Henderson

During the COVID period, the Orioles went in on their commitment to nurturing young talent. They knew their payroll was never enough to battle the big market teams so they had to look to their prospects to get back to the top.

This was carried out with the help of a mindset training where young players were given motivational books to read and enhance their mentality. This was followed by a proper skillset development training that nurtured young prospects like Gunnar Henderson.