Jordan Westburg
Westburg with Mississippi State in 2019
Baltimore Orioles – No. 11
Infielder
Born: (1999-02-18) February 18, 1999
New Braunfels, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 26, 2023, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.260
Home runs3
Runs batted in23
Teams

Jordan Cole Westburg (born February 18, 1999) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.

Amateur career

Westburg attended New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas, where he played baseball, basketball, and football.[1][2] He was a fellow baseball teammate and 2017 graduate with Bryce Miller. They grew up in the same neighborhood and were childhood friends.[3]

Westburg committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State University after his junior year.[4] As a senior in 2017, he batted .457 with four home runs and 22 RBIs, earning All-State honors.[5][6] Undrafted in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at Mississippi State.

In 2018, Westburg's freshman year with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, he appeared in 42 games (making 31 starts) in which he batted .248 with two home runs and thirty RBIs.[7][8] He missed over two weeks due to a hamstring injury.[9] As a sophomore in 2019, Westburg started 66 games, hitting .300 with six home runs and 61 RBIs.[10] He earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Week in March, batting .476 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over five games.[11] That summer, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks alongside being named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.[12][13][14][15] In 2020, his junior season, he batted .317 with two home runs and 11 RBIs over 16 games before the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17]

Professional career

The Baltimore Orioles selected Westburg with the 30th overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[18] Westburg signed with the Orioles on June 28, 2020 for a $2.3 million bonus.[19] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the pandemic.[20]

Westburg made his professional debut in 2021 with the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Low-A East.[21] On June 1, he was promoted to the Aberdeen IronBirds of the High-A East.[22] In mid-August, he was promoted to the Bowie Baysox of the Double-A Northeast.[23] Over 112 games between the three clubs, Westburg slashed .285/.389/.479 with 15 home runs, 79 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and 27 doubles.[24] He returned to Bowie to begin the 2022 season.[25] After batting .247 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs over 47 games, he was promoted to the Norfolk Tides of the Triple-A International League in early June.[26] Over 91 games with Norfolk to end the season, he batted .273 with 18 home runs and 74 RBIs.[27] To open the 2023 season, he returned to Norfolk.[28] In 67 games for Norfolk, Westburg hit .295/.372/.567 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI.

Westburg was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time on June 26, 2023.[29] He drew a walk in the rain and scored a run in the second inning, drove in a run with a fielder's choice in the third and got a one-out single in the fifth in his first three plate appearances as the starting second baseman in his MLB debut that night in as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds at Camden Yards by a score of 10–3.[30] He hit his first major league home run on July 24, 2023 against Philadelphia Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez at Citizens Bank Park.[31]

References

  1. ↑ Olson, Eric (June 20, 2018). "New Braunfels' Westburg goes bananas in Bulldogs' victory". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  2. ↑ Herald-Zeitung, Tucker Stephenson The. "DIAMOND KINGS: Unicorns' Westburg, Salazar to continue baseball careers in college". Herald-Zeitung Online.
  3. ↑ Rill, Jake. "They homered off each other in Little League. It's time for the MLB showdown," MLB.com, Thursday, August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ "2017 Texas HS Infielder Commits to MSU". PackPride.com.
  5. ↑ Zuvanich, Adam (June 16, 2017). "H.S. baseball: Reagan's Bormet leads All-Area team". ExpressNews.com.
  6. ↑ "TXSWA | 2017 All-State Baseball Teams". txswa.org.
  7. ↑ Horka, Tyler. "What Mississippi State's infield will look like during opening weekend". The Clarion Ledger.
  8. ↑ Sabo, Josh (May 31, 2020). "2020 MLB Draft Profile: Jordan Westburg, SS, Mississippi State".
  9. ↑ Cleveland, Tyler. "From bananas to hero: Jordan Westburg rising to the moment for Mississippi State". The Clarion Ledger.
  10. ↑ Horka, Tyler. "Mississippi State baseball has the pieces for 'nice depth' at infield positions". The Clarion Ledger.
  11. ↑ Coleman, Joel. "Westburg gives Bulldogs back-to-back SEC Player of the Week honors in baseball". Flex BLOX CMS.
  12. ↑ "Cape Cod Prospect Rundown: Hyannis Harbor Hawks • D1Baseball". August 13, 2019.
  13. ↑ Richard, Mike. "Hyannis' Jordan Westburg named CCBL Player of the Week". Barnstable Patriot.
  14. ↑ "#31 Jordan Westburg". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Tanner Allen, Justin Foscue and Jordan Westburg named to 2019 Collegiate National Team". USA Baseball.
  16. ↑ Coleman, Joel. "Season cut short: Foscue, Westburg may have seen last at-bats for MSU". Flex BLOX CMS.
  17. ↑ "How the MLB Draft concerns Mississippi State". 247sports.com.
  18. ↑ Ruiz, Nathan. "Orioles bolster middle-infield stock with selection of Mississippi State shortstop Jordan Westburg with 30th overall pick in MLB draft". baltimoresun.com.
  19. ↑ Coleman, Joel. "Jordan Westburg signs with Baltimore Orioles". Sports Illustrated Mississippi State Football, Basketball, Recruiting, and More.
  20. ↑ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Cancelled". MiLB.com.
  21. ↑ Pollitt, Richard. "Baltimore Orioles' top prospects highlight Delmarva Shorebirds' 2021 roster". The Daily Times.
  22. ↑ Ruiz, Nathan. "After promotion to Aberdeen, Orioles prospect Jordan Westburg excited for future, more competitions with Gunnar Henderson". baltimoresun.com.
  23. ↑ Dubroff, Rich (August 16, 2021). "Orioles move Cowser to Delmarva, Westburg to Bowie, Sedlock to Norfolk; Mateo starting at 2nd".
  24. ↑ Meoli, Jon. "Orioles minor league report: Jordan Westburg leads Bowie to playoffs, Coby Mayo rising fast". baltimoresun.com.
  25. ↑ "Orioles Announce Break Camp Roster for Baysox".
  26. ↑ "Orioles promote top infield prospects Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg to Triple-A".
  27. ↑ "Jordan Westburg Stats, Fantasy & News".
  28. ↑ https://www.mlb.com/news/where-orioles-top-prospects-are-starting-2023-season
  29. ↑ "Orioles roster moves and notes". masnsports.com. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  30. ↑ Rill, Jake. "In debut, O's prospect Westburg tallies one MLB first after another," MLB.com, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  31. ↑ Casella, Paul (July 24, 2023). "Westburg goes oppo for first career home run". MLB.com.
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