Baltimore Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Orioles' top prospect Gunnar Henderson loses helmet after blasting HR in major league debut

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/31/22

It was quite a Wednesday for Baltimore Orioles top prospect Gunnar Henderson.

The Orioles called up MLB's No. 1 rated prospect from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day, just hours before making his major league debut against the Cleveland Guardians.

In his second at-bat of the day, Henderson drove a Triston McKenzie pitch 429 feet over the wall, homering for his first hit in the big leagues.

While Henderson isn't the first player to homer in their debut, he might be the first to round the bases without a helmet. Immediately upon making contact with McKenzie's pitch, Henderson's helmet flew off, exposing his luscious flow to the masses.

FIRST HIT ✅

FIRST HOME RUN ✅ pic.twitter.com/Y6G6ycDiQ1
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 31, 2022

Henderson singled in the ninth, finishing 2-4 in a 4-0 Orioles victory.

The 21-year-old batted .297/.416/.531 with 19 home runs and 76 RBI in 112 games splitting time between Norfolk and Double-A Bowie.

The Orioles are excited by the addition of Henderson and hope he can contribute as the team pushes toward the postseason.

"[Henderson's] got huge upside," manager Brandon Hyde said. "One of the best prospects in baseball, top prospect in baseball for a reason. Glad to see him here today."

The Orioles (68-61) currently trail the Toronto Blue Jays (70-58) by 2.5 games for the final wildcard spot in the American League.

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