The Baltimore Orioles enter the 2026 season with a vague, hard-to-define feeling. Rotation lacks the depth and dominance of 2024, while market options have consistently slipped through their fingers. This places an invisible burden on the offense—and at the heart of that problem is Jordan Westburg.
After a 2025 season marred by injuries, Westburg isn’t a name frequently mentioned. But that very silence makes his role particularly questionable. If the Orioles want to weather the gaps that pitching can leave, they need a healthy—and consistent—Westburg.
The disappointment of 2025 stems from the expectations of 2024. After making his mark in the 2023 rookie season (.260/.311/.404 in 68 games), Westburg seized the second base and exploded: .264/.312/.481 with 18 home runs in just 107 games. It was a very “championship team” profile: not needing to carry the team, but always creating pressure.
Then injuries appeared—scattered, persistent, and preventing the rhythm from forming. Hamstring in May. Finger in June. Ankle in August. None serious enough to cause long-term fear, but enough to disrupt any momentum. Westburg still had flashes of brilliance—a explosive July, a solid August—but overall it was only 85 games, ending with a feeling of incompleteness.
The noteworthy point is: there were no long-term warning signs. No surgery. No regression. No relapse. Just bad luck. And that’s why the Orioles have reason to believe in a comeback.
When fit, Westburg is the kind of hitter Baltimore lineup desperately needs. He has a mature approach, good contact, hits on both sides, and possesses just enough power to turn gap-to-gap into home runs, especially on the pull side. In 2024, he achieved ISO above .216, strikeouts at a controlled level, not blindly expanding the zone. That’s the kind of at-bat that leaves the opponent’s pitching breathless.
Defensively, Westburg brings something less noticed but extremely useful: versatility. Second base is his home, but he can stand third, even shortstop when needed. For a team that likes to bring in extra relievers and frequently rotates lineups according to matchups, this versatility isn’t flashy — but it saves lives in August and September.
The key to Westburg’s bounceback is simple: fitness + opportunity = output. For the first time since joining MLB, he entered Spring Training with a full offseason, no recovery, no bandages. This allowed him to fine-tune his swing, build up his fitness, and do what the player needed most after a year of interruption: rhythm.
The mentality is also different. 2024 is proof. 2026 is confirmation. Westburg doesn’t need to carry the main role. With Henderson, Rutschman, Pete Alonso, and Cowser up front, he just needs to be stable—base, bring players home, extend innings. Exactly what he did when things were going right.
A season of .270/.320/.450 with over 20 home runs and solid defense is enough to make things much easier for the Orioles. Not because Westburg is a savior. And because in a team with so many unanswered questions, quiet stability is often what keeps the entire structure from collapsing.
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