Orioles’ Westburg wants another shot at the postseason

It’s been four months since the Orioles lost both games of the Wild Card Series to the Kansas City Royals. Jordan Westburg hasn’t forgotten the pain nor a controversial play.

In the sixth inning of Game 2, Bobby Witt Jr. hit a shot to second base, where Westburg was playing. He made a diving stop on the ball, but Witt reached first and Michael Massey second as Kyle Isbel scored what proved to be the decisive run.

“I guess what I’ve learned is that little moments make [up] a majority of winning plays of those games,” Westburg said.

“I think back to the play I had on Bobby Witt. I made a diving stop. Could I have gone to second maybe? I tried to go to first and get him, and that’s what made the difference in that game. That run scores.

“Little moments like that are when the most pressure is. I’ve learned that. I kind of know how to control that or handle that. That’s what I think I can use going forward. Hopefully we’re there again this year.”

The Orioles scored just one run in those two losses, on Cedric Mullins’ fifth inning home run in Game 2, just before the Royals scored.

It’s obvious that Westburg, who brought up that play when asked about playing in the postseason at PBR Baltimore during the Birdland Caravan on Friday night, has spent the offseason reliving that play.

He’s also thought about July 31^st when Toronto’s Yerry Rodriguez hit him in the right hand, fracturing it, and costing Westburg nearly two months of the season.

Westburg didn’t return until September 22^nd, and in the postseason had just one hit in six at-bats in the Orioles’ loss.

For the season, Westburg hit .264 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs and a .792 OPS. Earlier in July, Westburg had been named an American League All-Star.

Without Westburg, the Orioles’ offense floundered and lost an opportunity to win the American League East.

“I hope to stay on the field for a full year,” he said. “Super disappointed with how my season went last year. Of course, I really couldn’t have controlled anything that happened. I want to be on the field. It killed me to be off the field and to be on the [injured list]. I hope it’s a full healthy year so I can stay on the field and make an impact again with this team.”

Westburg will turn 26 on February 18^th and is ready to assume a clubhouse leadership role even though he hasn’t played two full seasons in the major leagues.

“I definitely want to step into that role,” Westburg said. “I know I’m still a young guy [from] the service time aspect. I do think that I can play a little bit bigger role in the clubhouse if I need to. We have some veteran guys, though. If they come in and set the standard early, that would be great. If they don’t, and it falls on us young guys, I feel more than confident that I can be comfortable in that role.”

Like Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman, Westburg is happy about the let field wall being brought in. He lost four home runs, including one in the Wild Card Series to the wall.

“I was happy. I know it took a lot of homers away from some of us righties.” he said.

It will also help left-handed hitters, including Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad, Westburg believes.

All of those dudes use the opposite field so well, it’s immediately going to immediately benefit those guys, too, so I’m pumped for it.”

Elias on Sánchez

Following last season, the Orioles moved on from James McCann, who has yet to sign with another team, and in December signed Gary Sánchez to replace him as the team’s backup catcher.

The 32-year-old Sánchez, a two-time All-Star with the New York Yankees, signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Orioles.

Since he last played with the Yankees in 2021, Sánchez has played for Minnesota, the New York Mets, San Diego, and last season with Milwaukee.

In 2024, Sánchez hit .220 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 89 games, but started just 27 behind the plate. He played one game at first base.

While Rutschman is the Orioles’ regular catcher, McCann started 54 games in 2023 and 63 last season. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said he expects Sánchez to play often

“I think he’s going to be a full-blown No. 2 catcher,” he said. “He’s also a really good hitter for a catcher, especially against left-handed pitching. I imagine we’ll see him DHing some games if he’s not catching. I expect him to be a huge part of the team.”

Note: Infielder Jacob Amaya, who Orioles claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on January 16^th, was reclaimed by the White Sox on Monday.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.