There’s something about firsts that hold special places in our lives. For baseball players, it’s being drafted, the first hit, the first home run and the first promotion all the way up to the big leagues.
When it comes to the majors, firsts hold a stronger meaning. Your first game, the first time taking the field as fans cheer you on, your first at-bat, hit, home run and so on.
When it comes to Jordan Westburg, his first time in the bigs was a long time coming. In fact, he had 630 at-bats in Triple-A as he waited for his time. As fellow teammates Gunnar Henderson and Joey Ortiz would see The Show, Westburg patiently waited for his turn.
The 24-year-old tore through Triple-A Norfolk, slashing .295/.372/.567 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in just 67 games. Playing second, short, third, left and right field, the former No. 30 overall pick was a do-everything player performing at an elite level.
Then the call came, and before he could wrap his head around it, Westburg was bound for Baltimore and set to make his major league debut.
“Feeling a lot right now. Don’t really know what emotions I’m feeling,” Westburg said before the game. “Lots of excitement, but yeah, it’s been a whirlwind of a day. I’m excited to be here and get it going.”
– Jordan Westburg on his emotions prior to his MLB debut
Westburg was anxious to get going, but the start of his first big league game was delayed due to rain. That didn’t stop the “Westys” from remaining and waiting to see their family member and friend make his debut.
As he took the field, Westburg took it all in with the mindset of “it’s the same game.” The first pitch was thrown, and his debut was official.
In his first plate appearance, Westburg would battle back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, his first big league walk, and spark a two-out rally. He would come around to score his first big league run shortly after.
The game was once again delayed, this time by more than an hour and a half.
When the game resumed, Westburg would make his first web gem with a snag running towards the back of second base. In one fluid motion, he would scoop and flip the ball to Jorge Mateo, who was waiting at the bag. They didn’t turn the double play, but the rhythm the two exuded electrified the crowd.
Westburg would come to bat again, this time hitting a ground ball. As the runner from third raced home, the ball was flipped to second and on to first. Westburg’s speed prevented a double play and earned his first RBI while also helping induce an error, which led to a second run.
The former Mississippi State product strolled to the dish in the fifth inning and would battle to a 3-2 count. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Westburg would line a single to left field, collecting his first major league hit.
The young infielder would finish his night by reaching on another fielder’s choice but would be caught stealing, for the first time, to end his night. The Orioles would win the game 10-3 against the Cincinnati Reds, with Westburg being a big part of the game both offensively and defensively.
For a 24-year-old making his debut, he showed the maturity of a seasoned veteran but soaked it all in as much as he could. In the end, what mattered was helping the team win and building that bond with his teammates.
“It just makes me want to embrace whatever my role is going to be to help this team continue to win,” Westburg said. “Right now, I’m not super focused on anything personal, just focused on meshing with everybody in this clubhouse and helping this team continue to play great baseball.”
– Jordan Westburg on his mentality moving forward
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