Baltimore Orioles Have One of Best Situations in Baseball at Third Base

An under-the-radar Baltimore Orioles infielder is already among the best third basemen in baseball.

Jul 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (11) rounds second base after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles roster is loaded with incredible young talent, especially in their lineup.

Given how youthful this group is, they have a real chance to be one of the best offenses in baseball for years to come, especially if the next wave of youngsters gets anywhere near their potential.

Some have already established themselves amongst the best players in the game at their respective positions.

The first player that comes to mind is shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 and took his game to MVP heights in 2024, finishing in fourth in the voting.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is in the conversation as the best backstop in the game and another foundational piece for the franchise.

But, one of their established stars who consistently flies under the radar is third baseman Jordan Westburg.

He isn’t underrated in the eyes of Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, as the young Orioles third baseman was placed at No. 7 in his ranking of every starter at the hot corner.

Throughout his time in the minor leagues he was overshadowed by big names such as Henderson, outfielder Heton Kjerstad and infielder Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball in 2024.

Yet it is Westburg who has already cemented himself as a major contributor at the Major League level, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team in his first full season.

The only thing that slowed him down in 2024 was a pitch hitting him in the hand on July 31, causing a fracture and sidelining him until he returned on Sept. 22.

His absence from the lineup was a major reason that the team’s production plummeted and their outlook was so bleak down the stretch of the campaign.

He was an important run producer in the middle of the lineup, recording an OPS+ of 129 and Rbat+ of 127. With 18 home runs, 26 doubles and five triples in 416 at-bats, he produced a stellar .481 slugging percentage.

That was tough to replace, as Westburg routinely got the job done when it mattered most. With runners in scoring position, he had an OPS of .923, regularly doing damage to produce runs.

As an added bonus for his value, he is versatile defensively. Westburg is more than capable of handling shortstop and second base in a pinch, giving manager Brandon Hyde some flexibility when creating lineups.

That will come in handy when finding at-bats for prospect Coby Mayo, a corner infielder who has conquered the minor leagues and is now looking for an extended opportunity at the Major League level.