Getty Baltimore Orioles infield prospect Jackson Holliday.
Jackson Holliday played well this spring. However, the player considered the top prospect in baseball did not play well enough to make the Baltimore Orioles’ 2024 Opening Day roster.
The Orioles reassigned Holliday to their minor-league camp on March 22. The 20-year-old is expected to begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk, where he finished last season.
Jackson Holliday was 14 for 45 in Grapefruit League play for a .311 batting average. The first overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft also had 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, a .354 on-base percentage and a .954 OPS.
Jackson Holliday CRUSHED this grand slam and he KNEW it. 😮💨
It had been widely expected that Holliday would be the Orioles’ second baseman when they are scheduled to open their season on March 28 by hosting the Los Angeles Angels. Instead, Holliday will go back to the minors.
Orioles GM Feels Holliday Needs More Seasoning: ‘He’s Very, Very Close’
Holliday was Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year last season. Every major media outlet ranks him as the No. 1 prospect in the sport.
However, Orioles general manager Mike Elias feels Holliday needs more minor-league seasoning.
“This is about an organization that prides itself on developing elite talents, putting a player in the best position for his own long-term success and for the short- and long-term success of the team and the roster that he’s on,” Elias told reporters at the Orioles’ spring training camp in Sarasota, Fla., including MLB.com Jake Rill.
“This is a 20-year-old that has played 18 games in Triple-A and is also in a position change and has not faced or had the opportunity to produce a ton against upper-level minor league left-handed pitching in particular.”
Here is Mike Elias’ 769-word response when asked why Jackson Holliday was reassigned to minor league camp:
Holliday played at four levels of the Orioles’ farm system last season, starting at Low-A Delmarva and then making stops with High-A Aberdeen, Double-A Bowie and Norfolk. He hit a combined .323/.442/.499 in 125 games with 12 home runs and 24 stolen bases.
Elias did not provide a timeline for Holliday making his major league debut. Yet the GM sounded like it might not be long into the season.
“He’s very, very close,” Elias said. “He’s very ahead of schedule. He’s done remarkably well. We couldn’t be more excited about his future. But you’re talking about the development of a player who has the opportunity to be one of the better, if not best, players in the league.”
The son of seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday has drawn raves for his maturity and explained to Heavy.com earlier this spring how he stays grounded despite being the subject of much hype.
How Orioles Infield Stacks Up
Jordan Westburg will be the Orioles’ second baseman to begin the season. The second-year player would have likely played third base if Holliday had made the team.
Westburg, 25, had a .260/.311/.404 slash line as a rookie last year in 68 games while hitting 3 home runs and stealing 4 bases.
Veteran Ramon Urias will man the hot corner. Gunnar Henderson will play shortstop after splitting time between that position and third base last season when he was the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year.
Henderson also won an AL Silver Slugger while helping the Orioles win an AL-best 101 games and their first AL East title since 2014. He hit .255/.325/.489 with 28 homers and 10 steals in 150 games.
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Orioles Send Baseball’s Top Prospect Back to Minor Leagues: ‘Very Close’