Orioles star Gunnar Henderson flattered by Aaron Judge’s ‘MVP right now’ praise

BALTIMORE — It wasn’t the game-winning blow for the Orioles, but Gunnar Henderson’s blast off Carlos Rodon that gave Baltimore its first lead in the third inning of a dramatic 6-5 victory was his 28th of the season, just six behind Aaron Judge’s torrid pace .

And it was another example of why Judge said he considered the shortstop the “MVP right now” when he was talking about the Baltimore lineup earlier in the series.

There’s a long way to go, both in the AL East race and the American League MVP race, but heading into the All-Star break, an argument could be made by plenty more than Judge that Henderson is the favorite for the award .

Told Sunday of Judge’s comments, Henderson said “it’s pretty cool to be considered there with him, especially coming from him.”

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Following Sunday’s homer, Henderson ranks fourth in the AL with an OPS of .957, while Judge is on top at 1.112, but Henderson’s defense at shortstop would likely be considered more valuable than Judge’s in center field.

Still, if they stay true to form, Judge and the 23-year-old Henderson figure to be neck and neck, along with Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. — among others — in the race.

“Judge has already done it and we all know how well he’s doing now,’’ Henderson said. “That’s pretty good for him to say that about me.”

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As has happened more often of late, teams are frequently pitching around Judge.

He drew two more walks and was hit by a Dean Kremer pitch with two out and no one on in the top of the first.

The 94 mph fastball hit Judge’s left elbow, protected by a pad and there was no drama after the benches cleared following Clay Holmes drilling Baltimore outfielder Heston Kjerstad in the head on Friday.

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Over the course of the three-game series at Camden Yards, Judge walked seven times and was hit by a pitch in 15 plate appearances.

“It’s unreal what he’s doing,” Henderson said of Judge. “It seems like any time a ball is in the zone, he’s hitting it hard somewhere. It’s definitely tough to pitch to him.”

Henderson hasn’t been as hot at the plate, but he’s already shown improvements from his Rookie of the Year season a year ago, when he also finished eighth in the AL MVP vote.

“It’s cool being in that conversation,’’ Henderson said. “But you’ve got to keep going and doing it every day.”

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