5 Baltimore Orioles prospects who should debut in 2023

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Jordan Westburg

Aside from Rodriguez, Westburg feels the most certain to debut early this year. Not only are the Orioles once again weak at second base, signing veteran Adam Frazier to a one-year deal, but Westburg seems to be ready for the majors. In 91 games in Triple-A last season, he hit .274/.361/.508 with a .869 OPS and 18 HR. He walked at a clip of 10.7% while striking out just 21.8% of the time. Westburg is a mature hitter who can already hit for power while getting on base at an above-average rate.

Westburg actually spent most of his 2022 season at shortstop. Still, he can handle second base just fine. Jorge Mateo has SS secured for the foreseeable future, but 2B is pretty much wide open on the MLB roster. He's shown an ability to play 2B, 3B, and SS in the majors, but assuming Mateo at SS and Gunnar Henderson at 3B, Westburg is likely to come up as a second baseman. His versatility could get him to the majors even quicker, as any opening in the infield can be filled by Westburg.

Just how soon Westburg will be in Baltimore is unclear. There's a chance of him cracking the Opening Day roster and taking over the starting job immediately. His bat is going to force his way into the lineup if he keeps hitting like he did last season.