Baltimore Orioles Utilityman Cracks Power Rankings After Breakout First Half

After a breakout first half in 2024, this Baltimore Orioles infielder finds himself among the top players in the game at one position.

Oct 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg (11) hits a single against the Kansas City Royals in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are no strangers to young players working their way through their farm system and become key contributors to the Major League club.

Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman have become household names in baseball. For the first half of the 2024 season, it seemed like that would be the case for Jordan Westburg.

He made his Major League debut for the Orioles on June 26, 2023. He went on to play in 68 games and produced a league-average rate per his 100 OPS+. With a slash line of .260/.311/.404 with three home runs and 23 RBI, many viewed Westburg as just another role player in the increasingly deep Baltimore lineup.

That changed in 2024. The first half became a coming-out party for him. It was such a strong first half that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked Westburg inside the Top 15 of his last third base power rankings of the season, placing the young star at No. 13.

"Westburg was one baseball's biggest breakout players during the first half of the season, but he missed significant time with a fractured right hand after the All-Star break," writes Reuter. "The 25-year-old can solidify his status as a foundational piece of the Orioles' future with a strong start to the 2025 season."

For the season, Westburg slashed .264/.312/.481 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, and a 129 OPS+ across 447 plate appearances in 107 games. In the first half, he batted .271/.318/.496 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI across 369 plate appearances in 89 games.

The fractured hand put a damper on a fantastic season, and it is production Baltimore hopes the young batter can replicate.

Defensively, Westburg spent time at second base, shortstop, and third base, though his best effort came at the hot corner. Per Baseball Savant, Westburg tallied five Outs Above Average at third base, ranking ninth in baseball among all qualifying third basemen.

He did not fare as well at second base or shortstop, tallying a combined -10 OAA at those positions. It is easy to see that he is well suited to man at third base.

Westburg is a promising young star for the Orioles. If he can replicate what he did in the first half of 2024, he will have no issues staying in the lineup on a daily basis.