Get ready to declare an MLB Holliday!
The Jackson Holliday era is set to begin in Baltimore. The Orioles called up the 20-year-old infielder, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. To make room on the roster for Holliday, infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp was designated for assignment. Holliday, who will be the first O's
The Jackson Holliday era is set to begin in Baltimore.
The Orioles called up the 20-year-old infielder, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. To make room on the roster for Holliday, infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp was designated for assignment.
Holliday, who will be the first O's player to wear No. 7 since Billy Ripken in 1988, will be in Boston for the second game of their series and his first appearance will be his big league debut, which is available for free on MLB.TV and will also air on MLB Network at 7:10 p.m. ET.
The No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school in Oklahoma, Holliday was slashing .333/.482/.595 with two home runs through 10 Triple-A games in 2024 and owns a career .321 average and .949 OPS in the Minor Leagues.
A left-handed hitter, Holliday played only 18 games at Triple-A in 2023, when he climbed all four full-season Minor League affiliates. He had a chance to make the O’s big league roster out of Spring Training, but they optioned him two days before the end of camp, with general manager Mike Elias stating the club wanted Holliday to get more reps at second base and additional experience against high-level left-handed pitching.
“He’s been great,” Norfolk manager Buck Britton recently told MLB.com’s Melanie Martinez-Lopez. “He kind of came down here with a chip on his shoulder. He wanted to prove that what he did at Spring Training wasn’t a fluke and he was ‘the guy.’”
The son of longtime MLB outfielder Matt Holliday, Jackson will be an immediate impact bat for an Orioles team already full of talented young position players. Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson was MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect in 2023, and Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman held the No. 2 spot in 2022. Behind Holliday, there are more reinforcements on the way: Orioles hitting prospects Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad are all currently ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top 30 overall prospects.
With Henderson manning shortstop for the O’s, who are coming off a 101-win season and AL East championship, Holliday will likely play mainly second base when he debuts. Orioles second basemen in 2024 are batting .206 with a .632 OPS, so Holliday could provide an offensive upgrade.
Jordan Westburg, who has been playing both second and third, could get more time at third, with Holliday getting a lot of time at second. Veteran utility man Ramón Urías has been slumping early in the season, going 2-for-22 in eight games.
It’s no guarantee the 20-year-old -- who will be MLB’s second-youngest active hitter when he debuts, behind Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio -- will immediately adjust to Major League pitching. But Holliday has hit everywhere he has gone -- including in 2024 Spring Training when he hit .311 with two home runs, two triples and two doubles -- and there’s no reason to think Baltimore will be any different.
One thing’s for sure: Holliday’s first game in an Orioles uniform will be one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory.
Theo DeRosa is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him @Theo_DeRosa. Jake Rill covers the Orioles for MLB.com.
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