Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BAL | SS | 8 | 45 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 40 | 55 | 50 | 60 | 50 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Mike Kinsela
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 203 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Draft - Round CBA
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: Athletic, tapered build with long musculature and high waist, looks the part of high-level athlete with strength to build and moderate projection remaining.
Hit: Westburg's developmental trajectory of his hit tool is still pointed up, as he's done an excellent job throughout his college career of consistently cutting down on his strikeouts, adding to his walk totals, and getting to his power with more frequency. It's plus bat speed, though he gets pull-happy often and will often take plus-count swings in minus-count situations, which has led to some trouble with strikeouts. The overall upside here is still a very good one, even if Westburg falls shy of a solid-average hit tool. Grade: 40
Power: The raw power is plus, with his excellent right-handed bat speed and physical strength combining to give him excellent power to the pull-side in particular, though he's got the ability to exit the yard in any direction. The approach is to pull, as stated, and while Westburg's hit tool should allow him to play with above-average power frequency, he's still likely to swing and miss too much to really get to plus power output. Grade: 55
Field: Westburg presently has the range, hands, actions, athleticism, and footwork to play the shortstop position, though the concern is that he might end up too big to play there long term. At 6-3/205 right now, Westburg could conceivably get to 220+ long term, and that could in turn affect his lateral agility to the point of moving to 3rd base. For now, shortstop is the projection, and Westburg has shown enough to be given a solid-average grade there. Grade: 50
Arm: The arm is a weapon, with excellent strength and true carry on a line, and he's shown the ability to consistently throw accurately from multiple slots and out of multiple positions, which is always necessary to see when projecting a plus tool. His arm aids in his overall defensive game, as Westburg is able to play a little deeper than traditional shortstop positioning, because his arm is there to help him out. Grade: 60
Run: He's a plus runner now, showing consistently sub-4.2 seconds times in his final year at Mississippi State, and the speed plays on the base paths quite well. With increased physicality likely comes diminished long speed, but it's still within reason that Westburg will be a solid-average runner long term. Grade: 50
Overall: Westburg's collection of tools and physicality is enticing, and with the development his hit tool has seen over his amateur career, it's easy to see why he was a top 40 pick. The hit tool will need to continue coming along in order for Westburg to be an everyday player, but if it does, Westburg could be a pretty high-end producer with a power/speed/defense profile at a premium position. The likelihood is that of a solid-ish regular with swing-and-miss concerns, who may have to move to third, however in a more limited role.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Platoon or Utility
Risk: Moderate
