This Orioles Under-The-Radar All-Star Game Candidate Worth Watching

The Baltimore Orioles could have a lot of players at the All-Star Game, but this one is tracking under the radar.

Jun 11, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg (11) throws to first base during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

When the All-Star Game is played next month in Arlington, Texas, the Baltimore Orioles could have several players on the team.

Last year four Baltimore players made the roster — catcher Adley Rutschman, outfielder Austin Hays, relief pitcher Yennier Canó and closer Félix Bautista.

Considering how well the Orioles are playing this season, there could be more. Recently, MLB.com pitched seven players from each league that are tracking as below-the-radar All-Star Game candidates.

Even with all of the talent in Baltimore, one player made the list — infielder Jordan Westburg.

The right-handed hitting infielder is listed on the ballot at third base. He's slashing .274/.330/.492/.822 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 65 games. He’s already improved on his numbers from his rookie season in 2023, in which he slashed .260/.311/.404/.715 with three home runs and 23 RBI in 68 games.

What stuck out to MLB.com was how Westburg was hitting against teams that are .500 or better going into Saturday’s game with Philadelphia. Against those teams he was batting .360 with a .663 slugging percentage and a 1.077 OPS.

Only the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani have a better OPS against those opponents.

Third base is a competitive position when it comes to All-Star Game balloting, with José Ramírez and Rafael Devers among the players that could get the nod based on fan voting.

He is more likely to make the team as a reserve, but there are only a finite amount of spots for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who will lead the team. Every American League team gets one All-Star, no matter how good or bad the team may be.

Plus, he can look around the diamond and see his competition. If Rutschman isn’t voted a starter, he’s likely to make the team as a reserve. Gunnar Henderson is going to make the team one way or another, too.

Westburg is playing the way the Orioles hoped he would when they took him in the competitive balance round out of Mississippi State in 2020, and it may carry him to his first All-Star Game next month.