Getty Jackson Holliday rounding the bases during an April 23 game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Going into the 2024 season, Jackson Holliday‘s MLB debut was the most anticipated in all of baseball. But he made just 10 appearances with the Baltimore Orioles before returning to Triple-A.
And now, for the first time all season, the ESPN’s Top 50 MLB Prospects list is published without Holliday’s name at the top.
Paul Skenes, right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is the new No. 1 prospect.
Holliday went 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts in his debut stint with Baltimore.
He’s batting .266/.421/.444 with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides. Holliday’s hit 4 home runs and 16 RBIs.
22-year-old Skenes has started two games with the Pirates since his call-up, and has thrown 18 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.
McDaniel: Holliday ‘Not Plus-Plus at Any One Thing’
ESPN’s MLB Insider, Kiley McDaniel, published the top-50 prospect list on May 22.
He cited Holliday’s lack of a dominant standalone aspect to his game amongst other reasons for his spot behind Skenes.
“He’s still above average at basically everything on the field,” McDaniel wrote. “But probably not plus-plus at any one thing, which differs from most players who have held the No. 1 overall prospect title.”
McDaniel also stated all the obvious draws of Holliday’s game, and his stature within the 2024 draft class.
“On the positive side,” McDaniel continued. “Holliday is a left-handed shortstop who has more walks than strikeouts in Triple-A, along with above-average power, and still younger than every college player in the 2024 MLB draft class.”
Holliday’s return to the majors isn’t a matter of if, but a matter of when. And he’s already flashing some of the changes tasked by the Orioles after his 10-game major-league debut.
Holliday Taking New Batting Stance
Holliday’s home run on May 16 wasn’t a surprising one at first glance.
But when you account for the fact that it came on an changeup ball and an 0-2 count, the perception changes.
JACKSON HOLLIDAY HOMER
Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun was first to note the sign of growth for Holliday, amid his adjustments to a new batting stance.
“The pitch Jackson Holliday homered on was an 0-2 changeup below the zone,” Calvin Meyer tweeted on May 16. “The fact that he could adjust to that pitch & hit it out is perhaps credit to the changes the Orioles wanted him to make to his batting stance…”
The 20-year-old prospect is taking a lower position at the plate in his second Triple-A stint.
And it’s all apart of the experience and feedback he received from his 10 games in MLB.
Baltimore’s general manager Mike Elias was asked about Holliday’s new-look delivery on May 13. He responded with nothing but praise.
“Heʼs doing exactly what weʼre asking him to do,” Elias told The Baltimore Sun. “Heʼs putting the work in. Heʼs been a very encouraging performer in the time heʼs been back down there, and I think things are trending in a really good direction. Heʼs doing a great job of putting in a lot of work, and heʼs had good results to show for it already. Things are looking good.”
Holliday isn’t ready for a return to the majors.
But on his current trajectory, he’s back on track to finish 2024 with the Orioles. Regardless of his ranking amongst MLB prospects.