Jordan Westburg rounded first base tonight, looked back at the dugout, pumped his fist and yelled.

This is what a walk-off home run feels like.

This is what a good, young hitter looks like.

Cedric Mullins singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning against Royals right-hander Nick Anderson, Westburg fell behind 0-2 on a pair of curveballs and launched a fastball over the right field fence, and the Orioles won the series opener in dramatic fashion, 6-4, before an announced and chilled crowd of 12,666.

"I was a little antsy that first pitch and chased a curveball down," Westburg said, "and I figured he was going to try to go back to the heater up, so I took that nice curveball right down the middle."

Two games into the 2024 season won’t allow for an Orioles lineup pattern to develop. Much too soon for that.

What we did learn yesterday is that Jordan Westburg is projected to play a lot more barring a horrendous slump that would send him to the bench or the minors.

Westburg went from designated hitter on Opening Day against left-hander Patrick Sandoval to second baseman yesterday against right-hander Griffin Canning. The infield is deep and versatile, but Westburg will find his at-bats.

An 11-3 win in the opener included Westburg’s run-scoring single in the first inning that broke a 1-1 tie. He had a two-run single yesterday in the sixth, grounding a 95.7 mph fastball up the middle after seeing three sliders, a splitter and another slider.

“We’re going to give him a lot of starts here and I want to see him play,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

The Orioles are 1-0, the record that really matters.

Only 161 more to go, and then more. It’s almost inconceivable that this team isn’t playing deeper into October than 2023 at the least.

I’m not using yesterday’s Opening Day trouncing of the Angels as my sole reason. They don’t appear to be very good - on paper for sure and on the field in their first regular season game. What are the odds of that happening without Shohei Ohtani?

There was a lot to unwrap from a day that began with Nick Vespi’s unexpected inclusion on the roster. I heard earlier in the day that he was summoned to Baltimore but didn’t know why until the Orioles announced that Jacob Webb went on the paternity list. So, Vespi makes his first Opening Day roster and Webb is denied his first.

Gotta admit that a baby is one heck of a consolation prize.

If there is one player on the current O’s roster that can tell the young group of talented players that will begin this new season at Triple-A instead of in the majors, how tough that can be, it is infielder Jordan Westburg.

Westburg, over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, had 714 plate appearances at Triple-A Norfolk and hit .283/.366/.533/.899.

After batting .274/.361/.508/.869 in 91 games during the 2022 season at Triple-A, he was a top 100 prospect heading into last season. Yet he didn’t begin the year in Baltimore. And he didn’t go back to Norfolk for just for a few games or a homestand or two. He didn’t debut with the Orioles until last June 26.

It was a long wait for him, but worth it to finally get to the majors and he was on the O’s playoff roster last October, playing all three games versus Texas.

But he indeed had a lengthy wait. He said in the Baltimore clubhouse yesterday that he hopes the group that was sent to the minors recently – to include Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers - can look at him as someone who had a long wait to get there. But then ran with his chance when it finally came.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 20-win spring training Orioles play their penultimate road game tonight against the Red Sox at JetBlue Park.

Albert Suárez makes his fifth appearance and third start, and he needs to avoid the one disastrous inning that has marred his last two games and maybe impacted his chances of going north.

Suárez has logged 11 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs and 13 hits with one walk and 16 strikeouts. He was charged with five runs in the seventh inning of Friday’s game against the Rays in Port Charlotte.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing shortstop. Jordan Westburg is the third baseman and cleanup hitter.

Colton Cowser is in center field. Tyler Nevin is the left fielder and Kolten Wong is the second baseman.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Colton Cowser is playing left field and leading off this afternoon against Rays right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa.

Jordan Westburg is playing third base. Heston Kjerstad is in right.

Jackson Holliday is starting at shortstop after playing in last night’s “Spring Breakout” game in Bradenton. Connor Norby, who also played last night, is the designated hitter today.

Dean Kremer is making is fourth start, with Albert Suárez on the trip to pitch in relief. Kremer has allowed five runs and 10 hits in eight innings, with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Coby Mayo is listed among the reserves. Among players coming over from the minor league side are outfielder Dontá Williams and infielders Anthony Servideo and TT Bowens.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Kyle Bradish has graduated from playing catch.

Bradish completed his first bullpen session earlier today, throwing only fastballs from the mound.

“Looking well,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

Bradish extended his long-tossing to 140 feet as part of his progression that led to today’s bullpen work.

The Orioles remain hopeful that Bradish can avoid surgery to repair a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection in January.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells appears to be in first-half season form.

Wells was dealing again today against the Rays, allowing only a solo home run by Orioles tormentor Randy Arozarena over four innings. Coupled with his outing on March 1 in North Port, the right-hander has surrendered one run and three hits in six innings.

Nothing has happened to change the perception that Wells is a favorite to nab one of the open rotation spots.

“I think one thing that me and Frenchy (Drew French) talk about a lot is just execution,” Wells said, “and that’s one of my big things today is focus on the good, continue to execute and the results will take care of themselves.”

Wells retired the side in order in the first inning on eight pitches, seven for strikes. He walked Isaac Paredes leading off the second and got the next three outs on a fly ball, strikeout and grounder. René Pinto singled to lead off the third and was erased on a double play.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo is playing center field for this afternoon’s game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium.

Colton Cowser is in right field and Austin Hays is in left.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing shortstop, with Jordan Westburg at second base.

Jackson Holliday finally gets a break.

Adley Rutschman is catching Tyler Wells, who’s making his second Grapefruit League start. Wells tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed on March 1 against the Braves in North Port.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Jordan Westburg made the bulk of his major league starts last season at second base. Thirty-five of them among his 50 appearances.

Today marked his first of the spring after four starts at third base and two at shortstop.

Westburg entered the game with five hits in 19 at-bats, including a double, triple and home run. He hadn’t drawn a walk and struck out eight times.

Veteran left-hander Chris Sale walked Westburg to lead off the top of the second inning. Westburg struck out in his next two at-bats.

“I like the way Jordan’s played,” manager Brandon Hyde said during his pregame media scrum in the visiting dugout at CoolToday Park. “He’s going to continue playing all three positions, majority third and second. Think he’s getting more comfortable at third base. I know he’s very comfortable at second base.

Joey Ortiz possesses the skills to knock down a bad-hop grounder and block out trade noise.

The number of gifted young Orioles infielders has left Ortiz with trade chip status bestowed upon him. Not from people inside the organization as much as outside observers who are trying to solve the riddle of how to create space.

MLB Pipeline ranks Ortiz as the sport’s No. 63 prospect and Baseball America places him seventh in the team’s top 30. Coby Mayo is third on the club and 30th in baseball.

The Orioles aren’t in any hurry to move him, either.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is trying to find a trade partner and bring in a starting pitcher, but he’s under no pressure to move his best young talent. If some of it returns to Triple-A Norfolk, a chance to play in the majors could arrive later in the year.

Orioles infield prospect Joey Ortiz, who made his major league debut in the 2023 season, may have finally shed that “glove-first” label. While his glove is still strong and he gets 70 fielding grades and 55 for arm strength by Baseball America, he also produced an .885 OPS in 88 games at Triple-A Norfolk last summer.

“Yeah, definitely, I feel like my whole career I’ve been labeled as glove first,” Ortiz said Friday at the Warehouse during Birdland Carvan. “Now for my bat to finally come through is nice. Been a lot of work, trusting in the coaches and what they are helping me with and me believing in myself as well.”

Ortiz hit .212 in 34 plate appearances over three stints with the Orioles. A true shortstop who has also played some second and third base, he said he’s up for it if the club needs him in a utility role this coming season.

He put up a batting line of .321/.378/.507/.885 for the Tides with 30 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 58 RBIs.

Rated as the No. 95 prospect in the 2023 debut of the Baseball America top 100, he is now the O’s No. 7 prospect. They have six players in the new top 100, so Ortiz just missed making the list.

Aaron Hicks injured his left hamstring on July 24 in Philadelphia while racing in for a fly ball from Johan Rojas in the third inning. Colton Cowser replaced him in center field.

Cowser batted in the ninth inning and lined a tie-breaking double to left field off Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel that scored rookie Gunnar Henderson.

Henderson will be in the Orioles’ Opening Day lineup in March. Kimbrel will sit in the bullpen as the new closer. Cowser could be in the lineup, on the bench or at minor league camp.

“We’re going to have a really competitive spring,” Cowser said at the Birdland Caravan. “I know that we have a lot of really good outfielders on this team and a lot of guys who can play multiple positions, but I’m looking forward to competing and having a good time out at spring.”

Cowser needed more of those fantastic Philly finishes. He collected two more hits in 22 at-bats. The RBI was his fourth and last.

Tony Mansolino holds the same curiosity. Being closer to the subject doesn’t offer an ounce of clarity.

The Orioles’ third base coach doubles as its infield instructor. He works with a talented young group that’s certain to expand with more prospect arrivals in 2024.

He can do the math.

An overflow is upon us.

Gunnar Henderson was voted Rookie of the Year in the American League. Jordan Westburg, another high-round draft pick, moved between second and third base. Defensive wiz Joey Ortiz made his major league debut and routinely is chosen as the best-fielding shortstop in the organization. Top overall prospect Jackson Holliday could break camp with the team or join it shortly after the season begins. Coby Mayo is threatening to bash down the door.

The Orioles aren’t necessarily done with their bullpen, remaining open to the idea of adding another veteran to it. Perhaps on a minor league deal to compete in camp. Perhaps on a major league deal to pair with new closer Craig Kimbrel.

As we’ve discussed here, it’s one way to improve the pitching staff if executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias can’t obtain an impact starter. It worked with Andrew Miller at the 2014 deadline.

The mistake was letting Miller walk as a free agent. The front office stance being that a one-inning guy wasn’t worth the money, though Darren O’Day received a four-year, $31 million extension in December 2015.

Josh Hader wasn’t returning to the Orioles organization. The local angle – Millersville native and Old Mill High graduate – wasn’t worth more than the $95 million that the Astros are paying him over the next five seasons.

That’s the largest deal for a reliever in terms of present-day value, with none of the money deferred. The largest stretch would be linking the Orioles to Hader based only on Félix Bautista’s elbow surgery.

If you look at the Orioles' possible Opening Day roster as 2024 approaches, we can see that it’s crowded between Triple-A and the majors. Once again this year, it is not easy to find playing time for all that might be good enough to make that roster.

It’s been said many times, but having too much talent doesn’t seem to be a problem except for getting all those players on the field.

The Orioles have rebuilt their major league roster while building an elite talent pipeline and the No. 1 farm system in baseball. They are good, deep and talented, and it’s getting harder for some kids to break in.

Just a few years ago, the rebuilding Orioles were giving playing time to players whose resumes now would maybe not stand much of a chance of gaining playing time. These are different times in Birdland.

If the Orioles carried two catchers and just four outfielders to begin the year (yes, five seems more likely) they could carry seven infielders. They currently have seven infielders on their 40-man roster with Gunnar Henderson, Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Joey Ortiz, Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg.

Four days in Nashville for baseball’s Winter Meetings allowed media to gather and sometimes break news, like the app downloaded on phones to provide assistance in getting around the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center without taking a wrong turn every 30 seconds, slipping into panic mode and remembering that airport security confiscated my flare gun.

It was the most important discovery of the week. Bigger than the Juan Soto trade talks.

That place is the North Pole at Christmas if José Canseco bought it.

I boarded my flight on Sunday morning filled with questions, which I shared with readers, and wanted to check back for any resolutions. Don't stop me if you've heard these before.

Is there interest in Japanese right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa?

Baseball’s offseason moves into a new month later this week, inching closer to the Winter Meetings, also known as the worst assignment of the year. Stretch out those hamstrings to chase rumors, whether legit or loony, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.

Stretch them out to cover the hundreds of miles separating the media workroom from the lobby area and elevators.

You literally are handed a map at the front desk to navigate the premises, accompanied by wishes of “good luck.” And with my sense of direction, I’m liable to wander into Memphis while searching for a men’s room.

Take the free bottled water if offered. It may be the difference between survival and dying from dehydration.

Fans are dying to know what the Orioles will do with their roster.

Some facts are informative, some are random. Some are just fun, which is why they have their own name.

Here are a few facts that fit in any category, with some extra notes and thoughts attached.

Fact: Heston Kjerstad became the sixth rookie in Orioles history to hit two or more home runs in his first five career games. Kjerstad joined Chance Sisco (two in 2017), Trey Mancini (three in 2016), Manny Machado (three in 2012), Andrés Mora (two in 1976) and Curt Belfary (three in 1965).

Follow: Sisco and Mora are proof that early power doesn’t always lead to staying power.

Sisco was the organization’s No. 1 prospect in 2017, but he hit .199 with a .658 OPS in parts of five seasons with the Orioles covering only 191 games and played independent ball this summer. Mora was hyped in the ‘70s and elected in 2003 to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, but he hit .223/.256/.383 in 235 major league games.

Former Orioles closer Zack Britton didn’t pitch this summer after failing to reach agreement on a free-agent contract, providing him with the opportunity to spend more time with a family that’s grown to include four children ranging in age from nine to two. And to more easily follow along on his older brother’s journey to a Triple-A championship.

He knew that Buck Britton was wired to coach and manage. That the short-circuiting of the former infielder’s playing career wasn’t the end of his baseball life.

It was just the beginning.

The Tides set a franchise record with 90 victories, won their first International League title since 1985 and secured their first Triple-A crown since 1983.  Britton was selected as the league’s Manager of the Year, following his award in 2019 with Double-A Bowie. He’s 164-135 in two seasons with Norfolk and 381-312 in five years in the Orioles’ system, beginning in 2018 at Single-A Delmarva.

The gig fits like a fielder’s glove.