SARASOTA, Fla. — As he rose through the Orioles’ minor league system after being selected in the 2020 MLB Draft, Jordan Westburg played all over the infield.
Throughout his time in the minor leagues from 2021 to 2023, Westburg appeared in 156 games as a shortstop, 93 at third base, 47 at second base and even six in the outfield. That allowed other highly regarded infielders like Gunnar Henderson and Joey Ortiz to have the same opportunity as well.
That turned out to be useful once Westburg made it to the major leagues in 2023. Shortstop was locked down by Henderson and Jorge Mateo, but the Orioles needed help at other infield spots. That’s where Westburg came in, appearing in 43 games at second and 27 games at third.
Even though Westburg was the regular shortstop at Mississippi State as a sophomore (2019) and junior (2020), playing all over is nothing new for the 25-year-old. That includes time at second and third base as a freshman with the Bulldogs.
Westburg started nine games at third base, five at shortstop and three at second this spring.
“My whole life — youth baseball, amateur baseball — I’ve played second base, I’ve played shortstop, I’ve played third base. I’ve played everywhere,” Westburg said. “When I got drafted they were like, ‘Hey, we want you to be as versatile as you can be.’ I wasn’t shocked by it and I was kind of already prepared for it.”
Westburg came to the Orioles armed with the physical tools necessary to play on the dirt, particularly a quick first step and the athleticism to range to his right or left. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound infielder credits major league infield instructor Tony Mansolino and minor league infield coordinator Tim DeJohn for improvements he’s made defensively since entering the organization.
With Henderson expected to serve as the everyday shortstop, Westburg figures to see time at second and third base in 2024. Prospect Jackson Holliday, recently optioned to minor league camp, will likely be slated for much of the work at second whenever he joins the major league club. That still leaves a lot of at-bats available at second and third for the time being.
Third base is the position at which Westburg believes he needs the most work. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was more than willing to give him the chance to do just that this spring.
“It’s giving him more opportunity over there, more ground balls, more daily work at third base,” Hyde said. “Really like him at second and short, so just kind of keeping the options open with him, too, with the possibility of playing some third base. But he’s really athletic and he loves to play and we like his bat and think he’s going to hit, so just moving him around. We have so many interchangeable parts and so many question marks right now that we’re just trying to keep options open with everybody.”
Westburg entered camp as part of a crowded infield competition that became a little less jam-packed after the Orioles sent Ortiz to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the package for ace right-hander Corbin Burnes. However, the fight for time at second, third and short still included 40-man roster members Henderson, Mateo, Nick Maton, Tyler Nevin and Ramón Urías and non-roster invitees Holliday, Coby Mayo, Connor Norby and Kolten Wong before the list was trimmed at the end of camp.
Westburg, though, understands the bigger picture.
“In all honesty, I don’t really view it as a competition. We’re all fighting for the same cause here. We’re all trying to win a World Series,” Westburg said. “I view it more as, ‘How can you help the guys around you get better? How can you push the guys around you to get better?’ That’s how I view it. If I’m not playing one day because Urías and Holliday are playing second and third and Gunnar’s playing up the middle, I hope all those guys get four hits. I’m not ever rooting against them.”
In addition to his versatility, there’s a good chance Westburg’s bat will afford him opportunities. He is a career .278/.371/.506 hitter across three minor league seasons, a stretch that features 151 extra-base hits. He hit .260/.311/.404 with 22 extra-base hits across 228 plate appearances. That’s good for a 100 OPS+, making Westburg a league-average hitter at the age of 24.
There figures to be more in the tank compared to what he showed in 2023. Regardless, he’s not taking anything for granted as Opening Day approaches.
“I’m still hungry to prove not only to myself but to everybody in this clubhouse that I can help this team win,” Westburg said. “It hasn’t really changed. There hasn’t been a lot of changes to my mindset. I’m coming out every day trying to win a spot — and if I don’t win a spot I’m trying to make everyone around me better, kind of the iron-sharpens-iron attitude. If you can’t do it yourself, then help the guys around you.”
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