O's call up No. 3 prospect Westburg for MLB debut

BALTIMORE -- The reaction wasn’t as outwardly emotional as the ones typically seen in prospect callup videos.

Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton didn’t waste much time getting to the point once he brought Jordan Westburg into his office late Sunday afternoon. Westburg, the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 34 overall prospect, needed to pack his bags, because he was heading to The Show.

Westburg flashed a brief smile, which quickly left his face as he thanked Britton in a professional manner and finally shared a hug.

“It hit me pretty hard, and I was trying to stay composed, I think,” Westburg told a throng of local media as he stood in front of his new locker inside the O’s clubhouse at Camden Yards on Monday. “It looks worse than it actually felt, that’s for sure.”

Gunnar Henderson, a former top prospect himself, calls Westburg “even-keeled.” It’s that character trait -- along with his incredible list of baseball tools -- that made Baltimore know it was the right time to bring its next talented youngster to the big leagues, which it did by promoting him Monday.

The Orioles then immediately inserted Westburg into their lineup for their series opener vs. the Reds, as the 24-year-old started at second base and batted seventh.

“I’m feeling a lot right now,” Westburg said pregame. “I don’t really know what emotions I’m feeling. A lot of excitement. But yeah, it’s been a whirlwind of a day. I’m excited to be here and ready to get going.”

Westburg is likely to be bouncing around the infield moving forward, with manager Brandon Hyde expecting to pencil in Westburg at mostly second and third, but potentially some at shortstop as well. He also has the ability to play corner outfield, which he showed at Triple-A.

Hyde doesn’t plan to have a lineup that’s “set in stone.” That’s been the case all season -- which has worked well, considering Baltimore entered Monday at 47-29 -- and it won’t change with Westburg in the mix.

“The great part about it is we’re getting to the part of summer where guys need a break,” Hyde said, “and with the amount of talent we have on our roster, I think that that’s going to be fantastic being able to move guys around a little bit.”

Whenever Westburg plays, he should bring an offensive boost. The Orioles can use it.

Second baseman Adam Frazier (.674 OPS in 74 games) and shortstop Jorge Mateo (.622 OPS in 68 games) have each been slumping a bit of late. Frazier is batting .182 (12-for-66) over 18 games in June, while Mateo was mired in a 1-for-18 skid before going 1-for-2 against Seattle on Sunday.

Westburg, meanwhile, had been raking all year for Norfolk, where he slashed .295/.372/.567 with 15 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 54 RBIs in 67 games. It was his second stint at the level, as he posted a .274/.361/.508 slash line with 25 doubles, three triples, 18 homers and 74 RBIs over 91 games for the Tides in 2022.

The right-handed-hitting Westburg’s most impressive tool is his power. But the Mississippi State University product showed the ability to hit for average in the upper level of the Minors, recording a .283 mark in 158 career Triple-A games.

At the end of Spring Training, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Westburg was “right there” in the battle for a roster spot, noting he was “really close” to the Majors. It was evident Baltimore thought that, as Westburg remained in big league camp until the final cuts.

Now, the time for Westburg to prove he is ready has arrived. Was the wait difficult for him?

“I was really focused on just the day to day and just trying to get better every single day,” Westburg said. “I trusted that it was going to come. Maybe not on my time, but in due time. I didn’t think it was too hard.”

Westburg will be the first member of the Orioles’ 2020 Draft class to debut in the Majors, where he’ll join catcher Adley Rutschman and Henderson, the top two picks in Baltimore’s ‘19 class.

“I’m really happy for him to be here, and I’m just looking for him to go out there and just be himself,” Henderson said. “I know that will be more than enough at the big league level.”

There will likely be more promotions to the Majors to come this year. Outfielders Colton Cowser (the No. 15 overall prospect in baseball) and Heston Kjerstad (No. 40) are currently in Triple-A, with the former closer to a big league callup than the latter. So eventually, the Orioles’ lineup should be filled with even more young talent.

Westburg leaves behind a Norfolk squad that has already clinched an International League playoff berth via its first-half record. He’s now eager to try to help Baltimore push its way into the postseason for the first time since 2016.

“It just makes me want to embrace whatever my role is going to be to help this team continue to win,” Westburg said. “Right now, I’m not super focused on anything personal. Right now, I’m focused on just meshing with everybody in this clubhouse and helping this team continue to play great baseball.”