The Orioles won’t be able to replace Jordan Westburg.

After an All-Star season in 2024, Westburg fought through injuries in ‘25 and still produced an OPS close to .800 with quality defense at third base. Now, with a partial UCL tear, the third baseman will be out through April, at least, according to president of baseball operations Mike Elias.

When Westburg was on, the O’s were on. In the 40 Orioles wins that the third baseman was a part of last year, the Mississippi State product hit a whopping .327 with a .936 OPS. In 45 losses, he hit .207 with a .610 OPS. That’s no surprise considering his OPS with runners in scoring position was all the way up at 1.134.

Among Baltimore hitters with at least 85 games last year, Westburg was tied for the team lead in home runs with 17, third in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage and third in OPS.

Replacing that kind of production with just one player isn’t an available option, unless Coby Mayo finds a way to reproduce his scorching September or a star becomes available on the open market. Perhaps, though, Baltimore can recreate Westburg in the aggregate.

At third base, specifically, there seems to be four obvious options: Mayo, Blaze Alexander, Jeremiah Jackson and Weston Wilson.

Mayo seems to be the most natural fit despite playing a majority of his big league games at first base last season. The former top-100 prospect has over 300 games at the hot corner in his minor league career, plus 15 more in the majors. Though Mayo isn’t known for his range and glove, MLB Pipeline graded his arm at a 70 on the 20-to-80 scale as recently as 2024, noting that he had “one of the best arms in the system, if not the Minors.”

If Mayo can provide even average defense, his offensive upside should be enough to keep him in the lineup more often than not. Last September, the 6-foot-4 Mayo hit .301 with an on-base percentage close to .400, an OPS of .941 and five home runs.

After an offseason filled with conversations about how Mayo would find playing time in the majors, it seems as if he could end up starting more often than not.

Jackson, out of necessity, primarily saw time in the corner outfield in Baltimore last season. A new set of circumstances could necessitate a move to the hot corner in 2026.

The former second-round pick has played over 100 games at the position in his career, including 13 in the majors, though he has spent more time at second base and shortstop. He could be an option to fill in for Jackson Holliday, too.

The same can be said for Alexander, whose acquisition from the Diamondbacks seemingly couldn’t have come at a better time. The 26-year-old is a super utilityman, able to play all over the infield and outfield. 

If you’re looking to replicate Westburg’s defense at third, Alexander could be the answer. His athleticism, with 86th percentile sprint speed, according to Statcast, helped him land in the 70th percentile in outs above average.

Wilson, perhaps the longest shot to make the roster out of that group, struggled in 2025 but was a solid utility piece for the Phillies the previous season, posting an .836 OPS in 40 games.

While those four are likely to be the main names replacing Westburg on the lineup card, they won’t be the only ones tasked with making up the production.

The Orioles added plenty of right-handed pop this offseason in the forms of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, who combined for a mere 74 home runs and 229 RBIs in 2025. Ryan Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill have each surpassed the 30-homer threshold in previous healthy seasons, too.

It won’t be up to just one player to make up for Westburg’s absence. In the aggregate, though, the O’s have the pieces in place to steady the ship.