Well, one question Mike Elias can scratch off his most annoying question list is, “When will you be bringing up Jordan Westburg?” Jordan Westburg has finally made it to the big leagues.
He was never as highly touted as Adley Rutschman or Gunnar Henderson, but all Westburg did was keep on keeping on and develop into a really nice player.
This year at Triple-A Norfolk, Westburg was slashing .295/.372/.567 at the time of his promotion. In old-fashioned numbers, that played out to 18 homers and 54 runs batted in.
Elias has often said he wanted his prospects to really be ready when they arrive in the majors. Adam Frazier was Elias’ way of buying time for Westburg. For a good chunk of the season, Frazier did what he was brought here to do.
But when you look at this Orioles lineup, the primary middle infielders seem to have run out of gas. Frazier was a very solid, tough out for the first two months, but June has exposed him — probably just because he is playing too much. While he has 19 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs, he is hitting .228 with a .292 on-base percentage.
Jorge Mateo has six homers, 27 RBIs and 21 steals while delivering Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop. But after hitting the ground running in the first month, he seems to have hit his level to the tune of .224/.265/.357. It looks like he might become pretty invisible.
It’ll be no surprise if Westburg comes in with a little chip on his shoulder after playing in 317 minor league games and making 1,429 plate appearances. From what I have heard, he’ll also bring some energy to a club sorely in need of a bit of a spark.
It’s curious that the Orioles opted to bring Westburg up when Ryan Mountcastle has played in a few games at Norfolk. You would think he would be ready to step back into his O’s uniform.
But in listening to manager Brandon Hyde answer questions about Mountcastle, the Orioles aren’t just counting at-bats, they are assessing the quality of his at-bats. Interesting that it took a battle with vertigo to suddenly want to see a higher quality of at-bat from Mountcastle. I have been beating that drum for most of the past two seasons.
So far, Mountcastle is hitless in 14 at-bats with the Tides.
Mountcastle does have options remaining. It appears there is a fair chance of the first baseman having to earn an opportunity to come back up to help the Orioles in the middle of a pennant chase.
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Speaking of guys on the hot seat, Cole Irvin will take the ball in the opener of this big three-game series against the red-hot Cincinnati Reds. Both Irvin and the club want this start to jumpstart what has been a dismal start to his Orioles career.
The left-hander has a 7.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 23.1 innings. Opposing batters are teeing off to the tune of a .316 batting average. He’s given up five homers and walked 10 while allowing 31 hits.
His last start was about as bad as it gets after two crisp innings. He gave up three consecutive solo shots at Wrigley Field.
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Not too much to say about the MASN dispute other than the years 2012-2016 seem to be in the clubs’ and network’s rearview mirror. The network will pay the Nationals nearly $100 million, as first reported by The Washington Post.
MLB will next pass the 2017-2021 seasons on to its revenue sharing committee and have to come up with a figure for 2022-2026.
What has to favor the Orioles is that many of the regional sports networks owned by a joint venture of Sinclair Broadcasting and Entertainment Studios, trading as Diamond Sports Group, have gone belly up.
It’s no secret that former commissioner Bud Selig and current commissioner Rob Manfred had contentious relationships with Peter Angelos. The man running the show now, John Angelos, has developed much more of a working relationship with Manfred.
While it was never confirmed by Manfred, it’s believed that while this dispute between the Nationals and MASN was white hot, MLB would not sincerely consider Baltimore for an All-Star Game.
This year’s All-Star Game will be held in Seattle at T-Mobile Park. The 2024 game is slated for Texas at the new home of the Rangers, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The 2026 All-Star Game was tabbed a few years ago for Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
The 2025 slot is open. It’s my prediction that Manfred will solidify his relationship with the Orioles and their head man John Angelos by awarding Baltimore with the 2025 game.
Baltimore has twice hosted the All-Star Game, in 1958 at Memorial Stadium and 1993 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Ironically, many officials were so wowed by OPACY in only its second season back in ’93 that many writers seriously suggested that OPACY should be the permanent host of the game.
Photo Credit: Scott Sears