Orioles get college shortstop Westburg at No. 30
Joe Trezza
If one thing is already clear about Mike Elias and?company¡¯s strategy?from their first two?Drafts at the helm of the Orioles, it¡¯s their love for position players. The O¡¯s system needs them, and Elias keeps going back to the well again and again.
After surprising many by drafting Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad with the No. 2 pick, the Orioles dipped into the collegiate position-player ranks again to draft Mississippi State shortstop Jordan Westburg at No. 30, the first pick of Competitive Balance Round A. The 37th-ranked player on MLB Pipeline¡¯s Draft board, Westburg hit .285/.385/.446 in three seasons for the Bulldogs, helping them reach the College World Series as a freshman in 2018. Elias described him as ¡°high performing but also toolsy¡± on a video call Wednesday night.
¡°You look at the history of the Draft, and middle infielders, especially shortstops from big conference schools, every round they are the smartest picks you can make,¡± Elias said. ¡°You should really take as many as you can, and we really like Westburg.¡±
Only two of the Orioles¡¯ top 23 prospects per MLB Pipeline are middle infielders, and Westburg became even more attractive after the O¡¯s passed on top-rated Austin Martin and Nick Gonzales to take Kjerstad. He now becomes the latest in a line of high-floor, middle-of-the-field players Elias has brought in over the last two Drafts. The O¡¯s took position players with their first eight picks in 2019; going with college bats with their first two picks this time could free them up to focus on pitching on Day 2.
¡°It¡¯s super exciting,¡± Westburg said. ¡°It makes you feel like you have a chance to be a part of something special. With Heston drafted before me and [top prospect] Adley [Rutschman] last year, to have my name up with those guys and the chance to rise through this organization and make an impact is something special.¡±
Westburg was something of a late target for the Orioles, who waited until the Friday before the Draft to schedule a virtual meeting with him. Westburg said they were the last team to contact him before the Draft; come Wednesday night, Elias said they were eyeing several pitchers who ultimately didn¡¯t make it to No. 30, also calling Westburg ¡°somebody who could¡¯ve gone a few picks earlier in the first round if things had shaken out a different way.¡±
The expectation is that taking Kjerstad and Westburg with their first two picks will free up the Orioles to spend big on a pitcher at No. 39 and beyond, perhaps with Oklahoma lefty Dax Fulton or Texas right-hander Jared Kelley. Baltimore has $13,894,300 in spending power this year to spend on six picks, the most of any team. The No. 2 pick valued at $7,789,900 and the 30th pick at $2,365,500 -- neither Kjerstad nor Westburg is expected to command more than slot value, and both could sign for less.
A 6-foot-3, 191-pound native of New Braunfels, Texas, Westburg formed one of the nation¡¯s top double play combinations with No. 14 overall pick Justin Foscue, who went to the Rangers. As a freshman, Westburg became one of six players to drive in at least seven runs during a single College World Series game, when he did so during the 2018 tournament. He broke out with a .294 average and .402 OBP as a sophomore the following spring, and enjoyed a big summer in the Cape Cod League in 2019. Westburg then slashed .317/.432/.517 as a junior this spring.
Westburg is considered a plus runner and expected to grow into more power at the next level, perhaps as a potential 20-20 player in the Majors. His game does come with some swing-and-miss issues and there are some questions about whether he grows out of playing shortstop eventually.
¡°I believe the best part of my game is my athleticism. It allows me to be versatile on the field and play an explosive type of baseball,¡± Westburg said. ¡°I want to stick at [shortstop] for as long as possible, but I understand the game is evolving and the game is changing. Because of my athleticism, I feel like I can play anywhere on the diamond.¡±
Said Elias: ¡°He¡¯s a guy who has power, above average speed, who can throw. ¡ There is a lot to like here and we think he can stay at shortstop.¡±
The Draft continues on Thursday with Rounds 2-5. The MLB Network preview show begins at 4 p.m. ET, with live coverage on MLB Network and ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Go to MLB.com/Draft for complete coverage, including every pick on the Draft Tracker, coverage and analysis from MLB Pipeline¡¯s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter.
¡°He¡¯s a guy who has power, above average speed, who can throw,¡± Elias said. ¡°There is a lot to like here and we think he can stay at shortstop.¡±