WATCH: Former Auburn signee Gunnar Henderson gets first MLB call-up

Few things in sports are as special as a minor league baseball player getting the call to the big leagues. Especially when coming out of high school, the grind in baseball’s developmental leagues can be a brutal one. On Wednesday, another special moment occurred inside the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Gunnar Henderson, who was an Auburn signee before getting drafted, is considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball. While he began the season in AA, he was called up to AAA in early June. Since then, he’s batting .288 with a .894 OPS, 11 home runs, and 41 RBIs.

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Defensively, Henderson had been all over the place. While his AAA manager was telling him the defensive plan over the next few days, he snuck in there that Baltimore would be bringing him up to the Major League squad. Instead of staying in Norfolk, Henderson would be heading to Cleveland.

The moment Henderson was told he was being called up was recorded on video, with pure joy being on his face. You can watch the full video here.

Orioles top prospect Gunnar Henderson had to leave his burger delivery behind to head to the big leagues pic.twitter.com/Lyofc1xBZC

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 31, 2022

Henderson is originally a Montgomery, AL, native and was slated to play college baseball at Auburn. Baltimore drafted him 43 overall in the second round in the 2019 MLB Draft, meaning Henderson was not going to make it to the Plains.

Instead, the worked his way through the Orioles’ system and will now make his debut in Cleveland on Wednesday. The lineup card has already been revealed — Henderson will bat sixth in the order and play third base.

For a high school player, it’s a quick rise up the ranks. Henderson was born in the year 2001 and is just 21 years old. There’s a bright future ahead for not only the ball player but the Baltimore organization as well.