That didn’t take long.
Late Tuesday night, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Baltimore Orioles are calling up Major League Baseball’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday.
BREAKING: The Baltimore Orioles are calling up infielder Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 10, 2024
Holliday, son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday, has officially completed his meteoric rise to the majors, and will now join the Orioles as they look to repeat as American League East champions.
Holliday, 20, was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
By the end of 2023, he was already in Triple-A. And now, less than two weeks after starting the 2024 season in Triple-A, he’s getting his MLB call-up.
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Holliday is a shortstop who has raked at every level thus far in his short career. He lasted just eight games at Rookie Ball before moving up to Single-A, where he began the 2023 season. Then, 14 games later, he was in High-A, where he continued his dominance.
He spent just 36 games at Double-A, where he slashed .338/.421/.507 with a .928 OPS. After just 28 games at Triple-A, he’s now made it to the big leagues.
In 10 Triple-A games this season, Holliday slashed .333/.482/.595 with two home runs, five doubles, nine runs batted in and 12 walks. He had an incredible 1.077 OPS, and made it impossible for the Orioles to keep him in Triple-A any longer.
Holliday is one of the many incredible young stars the Orioles have in their farm system. He joins the likes of Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowswer in the majors. In the minors, the Orioles still have top prospects Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad and Samuel Basallo, among many others.
Holliday’s best tool is his hitting, but he also has plus-speed and plays good defense. Additionally, he has good power and a great eye, which he showed off last year when he hit 12 home runs and drew 101 walks in 125 games.
The Orioles are off to a 6-4 start in 2024, including their series opening win on Tuesday against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. They’re coming off a series loss on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates, after winning their first two series of the year against the Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals.
It remains to be seen how quickly Holliday will be able to join the team and make his debut, but his first chance would be on Wednesday against the Red Sox in Boston where first pitch is 7:10 p.m. local time. After two more games in Boston, the Orioles head back home for a six-game home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins.
It’s safe to assume the home fans will be very excited to welcome Holliday to Baltimore this weekend.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.