Baltimore Orioles they are no strangers to young players moving into their farm system and becoming key contributors to a Major League club.

Gunnar Henderson And Adley Rutschman became household names in baseball. That appeared to be the case for Jordan Westburg in the first half of the 2024 season.

He made his Major League debut for the Orioles on June 26, 2023. He played in 68 games and had a league average per 100 OPS+. With a .260/.311/.404 line with three home runs and 23 RBIs, many viewed Westburg as another role player on an increasingly deep Baltimore roster.

This situation changed in 2024. The first half turned into a coming out party for him. It was such a strong first half that Joel Reuter Bleach Report He placed Westburg in the Top 15 in the final third base power rankings of the season, placing the young star at No. 13.

“Westburg was one of baseball’s breakout hitters in the first half of the season, but missed significant time after the All-Star break with a fractured right hand,” Reuter writes. “The 25-year-old can solidify his status as a core 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 RBIs and a 129 OPS+ in 447 plate appearances in 107 plate appearances. In the first half, he batted .271/.318/.496 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs in 369 plate appearances in 89 games.

The broken hand marred a great season, and Baltimore is hoping the young kicker can do the same.

Defensively, Westburg spent time at second base, shortstop and third base, but put in his best effort at the hot corner. Per Baseball MasterWestburg tallied five above-average Outs at third base, ranking ninth in baseball among all qualifying third basemen.

He didn’t fare well at second base or shortstop, posting a total of -10 OAA at those positions. It is easy to see that it is well suited to the person in the third stage.

Westburg is a promising young star for the Orioles. If he can repeat what he did in the first half of 2024, he won’t have any problems staying in the lineup on a daily basis.