The Baltimore Orioles' offense was a slightly above-average unit in 2026, ranking 13th among the 30 teams with a 102 wRC+.
The group, however, got a mediocre 76 wRC+ from its second basemen, largely Jackson Holliday, Blaze Alexander, and Jeremiah Jackson. Luckily, the team has a young and well-rounded infielder capable of playing at the keystone who should be ready for spring training after missing the entire 2026 campaign due to injury.
Yes, we are talking about none other than Jordan Westburg. The 27-year-old was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow in February. The team initially tried the rehab path with PRP injections, but he eventually went under the knife in May and missed the whole season.
Westburg, however, has already started his hitting progressio n and looks on track for a relatively normal offseason and spring. If we have baseball in 2027, the infielder will surely be part of the mix for an Orioles team that could certainly use his steady, consistent production.
Let's not forget that Westburg, after being a slightly below-average hitter in his debut 2023 campaign with a 97 wRC+, took a step forward in 2024 with a .264/.312/.481 line, 26 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs, and a 125 wRC+. He posted a career-high 2.7 fWAR that year.
Then, in 2025, he racked up 352 plate appearances in 85 games, in which he homered 17 times and posted a 115 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR. The talented Westburg has shown that he can be a difference-maker in Baltimore, but he has developed quite the injury-prone reputation, too. That can't be ignored.
So, what can fans expect from Westburg in2027? Well, it's complicated, because he still has to show that his timing and bat speed are all the way back after the Tommy John surgery he had just months ago.
The hope is that he can eventually regain his best version or something close to it, which we saw with Bryce Harper when he went underwent the procedure in November 2022 and returned in 2023 to hit 21 homers and post a 141 wRC+. Riley Greene is another example of a player who bounced back well from the procedure. Of course, there's also the chance that he goes David Fry on us.
As a reminder, Fry was an All-Star for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024, when he posted a 129 wRC+. He underwent the surgery in the offseason, and hasn't been the same ever since, finishing 2025 with a 62 wRC+ and 2026 with a 93 mark.
Only time will tell how Westburg, who could be an extension candidate , bounces back from the surgical intervention and the long inactivity, but it could go one way or another. Unless he has a disastrous spring, however, he should be able to win a spot on the roster and the starting lineup.
Fans are aware that he is almost a sure bet for a trip to the injured list or two per year, but they will surely be happy with 350-400 plate appearances of above-average offensive performance. After all, he is still a core piece of this team .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/orioles/onsi as What Can The Orioles Expect From Jordan Westburg In 2027? .
