Orioles infield prospects Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson have progressed through the organization side-by-side. Both were the second selections made by the team in their respective drafts, Westburg out of Mississippi State in 2020 and Henderson out of high school the year prior.
That’s only where the similarities begin.
Earlier this month, the two were promoted together from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. After short stints at the organization’s lower levels, the two close friends are now one step away from Baltimore.
Westburg is hitting .366/.392/.732 with five home runs for the Tides entering play June 28, while Henderson is hitting .288/.422/.515 with four homers. They lead the way for a group of talented infield prospects who will eventually roam the Camden Yards dirt. Westburg hopes they will bring winning baseball back to the stadium.
“Everybody sees what’s happening at each level and the success that teams are having, the excitement that players are bringing to the field every day,” Westburg said on Glenn Clark Radio June 17. “Here in the near future, we’re going to bring a competitive team to the major league level and it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to bring the baseball back to Baltimore and make that city what it used to be where there’s excitement, there’s a buzz around Camden all the time.”
Westburg, 23, is the club’s No. 6 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Henderson, 20, is ranked third. They spent an almost identical amount of time at each stop along the way to Norfolk.
Westburg played 20 games for Low-A Delmarva in 2021 then 62 for High-A Aberdeen before spending 30 games with Bowie to close out the season. Henderson played in 35 games at Delmarva and 65 for Aberdeen. He also got a late-season promotion to Bowie to be there for the team’s playoff run.
Late-season tastes of the Double-A level proved fruitful for both. Each played 47 games to open the 2022 season before earning promotions. Westburg hit .247/.344/.473 for Bowie while Henderson posted an even more impressive .312/.452/.573 line.
“A 20-year-old in Triple-A is pretty special,” Westburg said of Henderson. “Being able to mesh in a clubhouse full of older guys, and then obviously do what he’s been able to do on the field, there’s not many people in this world that can do that.”
Naturally, the two have grown close off the field. They’re now roommates in a Norfolk apartment. They enjoy watching baseball as fans and playing ping pong and pool in their free time. The former tends to bring out the competitive side more often.
“Involuntarily, those competitive juices turn on,” Westburg joked.
On the field, the infielders are just as close. It’s beneficial not only for chemistry, but also in their willingness to sacrifice for each other and the team and play wherever they’re needed.
Both have moved around the infield dirt across every minor league stop. In 2021, Westburg played in 69 games at shortstop and 36 at third base. This season, he’s expanded his reach to second base, where he’s logged 21 games between Bowie and Norfolk.
Meanwhile, Henderson boasts a similar versatility. Last year, he played 62 games at shortstop and 35 at third base, the position many view as the future spot in the major leagues. This year, he has played more third (35 games) than shortstop (27) across two levels with a near even split after a few weeks in Triple-A. Many expect the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Henderson to settle in at third in the big leagues.
Westburg takes pride in his defensive versatility. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get him to the majors sooner.
“I feel comfortable that if I get the call to get moved up at any of those three positions,” he said. “I’d be pretty prepared at any of those three infield spots. I’d be more than willing to do whatever I can to put myself in a good position to be on the field every day. If that means playing multiple positions, so be it. If it means playing one position, so be it.”
For more from Westburg, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Steven Goldburg