The Major League Baseball playoffs are finally here, and three players with ties to the county have earned spots on Wild Card rosters. Jordan Westburg, Hunter Renfroe, and Hunter Brown have all made the cut, and will start play Tuesday. All three players spent at least one summer in Montgomery County playing for the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League.
Jordan Westburg
Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg spent the summer of 2017 in Gaithersburg before a successful freshman season at Mississippi State. In 2023, Westburg became the first former Giant to play in the MLB postseason. Earlier this year, Westburg became the first Giant to play in the All-Star Game.
Fresh off a return from the injured list, Westburg is looking to become the first Giant to win an MLB playoff game. He will have a chance on Tuesday as his Orioles host the Kansas City Royals in Baltimore.
Hunter Renfroe
The Royals have county ties as well, with veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe in their ranks. Like his Wild Card opponent Westburg, Renfroe also played college ball at Mississippi State. However, it’s his two excellent summers in Bethesda that really stand out.
Renfroe led the 2011 Big Train team to a national championship. He followed that up by breaking the league’s single season home run record with 16 in 2012, a record that still stands today. Renfroe is no stranger to the postseason, with 23 games under his belt over the course of his long MLB career.
Hunter Brown
Ties to the county can also be found in the other American League matchup. The Houston Astros have named Hunter Brown to their Wild Card roster. Like Renfroe, Brown also spent time in Bethesda. Brown’s sole season with the Big Train came in 2018, where he posted a stellar 1.27 ERA across 13 games out of the bullpen.
Brown will look to pitch in his third consecutive postseason with Houston. In seven career playoff games, Brown has been outstanding, posting a 1.69 ERA and earning a World Series ring in 2022.
Two Ripken League alumni are set to appear in the National League side of the bracket. Joey Ortiz of the Brewers spent a summer with the now defunct Baltimore Dodgers in 2017. Current Los Angeles Dodger Chris Taylor was a Metro Brave in 2009. Taylor will have to wait until the divisional round to appear in his 8th MLB postseason.
All four Wild Card matchups will be televised across ESPN’s networks. Each series will follow a best-of-three format with the winner advancing to the American League Division Series (ALDS). Tickets are still available to see Renfroe and Westburg in Baltimore at the link here.
Photos Courtesy of Cal Ripken League and Bethesda Big Train on X.
