Jackson Holliday will soon make his long-awaited debut with the Baltimore Orioles. MLB’s top prospect absolutely raked during Spring Training. But it was not enough for him to break camp with the World Series contenders.
Less than two weeks into the season, and that will change. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday that Baltimore has called Holliday up from Triple-A Norfolk.
This should not be considered too much of a surprise given the trajectory of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Holliday has shown nothing at the minor league level that indicates he can’t be an absolute star in the majors.
- Jackson Holliday minor league stats: .321 average, 15 HR, 93 RBI, .949 OPS
Since making his debut in the minors back in 2022, the Stillwater High School product out of Oklahoma has made a quick rise through the minor league ranks. Thus far this season, the 20-year-old infielder is hitting .342 with two homers, nine RBI and a 1.096 OPS.
He’s been a big part of Norfolk’s historic run to start the season. Baltimore’s top minor league affiliate has hit 29 homers with 95 runs in nine games. As a team, it is batting a whopping .343. It was just last week that the team scored 26 runs in a single game.
Related: Baltimore Orioles team preview
What Jackson Holliday and his promotion means for the Baltimore Orioles
Holliday has played second base and shortstop with a bit of third base mixed in throughout his short minor league career. He will likely play second in Baltimore with Gunner Henderson doing his thing at shortstop.
Meanwhile, Jordan Westburg has struggled to the tune of .194 average with a .597 OPS at second base thus far this season.
Despite their 5-4 start to the season, the Orioles have struggled at the plate this season. As a team, they are hitting .222 with a .662 OPS. Holliday will provide an immediate boost in that regard.