Why Orioles Fans Shouldn’t Worry About Jackson Holliday… Yet
The rest of the league got to poke fun at the Baltimore Orioles last week after their highly touted future star, Jackson Holliday, was optioned to the minors after what can only be described as a historically bad start to his career.
“It doesn’t always come immediately for every player”@Ken_Rosenthal reacts live to the news that Jackson Holliday has been optioned to AAA by the @Orioles
▶️ https://t.co/8OBDEaTGwx pic.twitter.com/twqqgXlBKf
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 26, 2024
While I was happy to jump on the bandwagon to crack jokes and point fingers, the fact is that if Holliday were a member of my team, I would be elated. Even with his terrible start in the MLB. Why? Because even after a bad month at the plate, Holliday is still one of the best young players in the league, and some time in the minors should rebuild his confidence and get him up to speed enough to return to the bigs.
Was Holliday Ever Ready for the Big Leagues?
It would probably take less time for Holliday to break down what didn’t go wrong in the lead-up to him getting optioned. But it’s more fun this way.
The first misstep was to leave him off the Opening Day roster in the first place. Holliday was crushing MLB-level pitching during Spring Training and earned his spot on the Day 1 roster. But the Orioles decided to exploit the rules and manipulate his service time to try and keep control over him for another season. Ultimately, that decision was a waste, and the Orioles called him up early to join the main roster.
Despite the clear business rationale behind the decision, keeping Holliday in Triple-A Norfolk for those weeks had a detrimental effect on him. He performed exceptionally well during that time, but it seemed to dull his competitive edge at the MLB level. He was playing down to his competition in Triple-A rather than rising to the challenge of superior talent in the majors. This adjustment period may have hindered his development in the long run.
When he finally did debut in the majors, he was nothing short of embarrassing. The 20-year-old second baseband managed two hits, singles, and two walks in 36 at-bats spanning 10 games. I thought it was more than 10 games because of how hard it was to watch. He struck out an astonishing 18 times and hit 0.59 with one RBI and a .111 on-base percentage.
Jackson Holliday has been demoted back to AAA.
Had only 2 hits over 34 ABs.
Here are all his at bats. Didn’t really show much promise this time around.
— The Skippers View (@TheSkippersView) April 26, 2024
Pull any portly past his prime outfielder from a softball Beer League in the Tri-State Area, and I bet he could hit 0.59 over 10 games in the MLB.
The O’s tried to rest him, but the top pick in the 2022 MLB Draft never looked like he knew what to expect when he stepped up to the plate. Finally, the team had enough and made the painful move to option him. Despite their success overall, Holliday was dead weight for the Orioles, and they couldn’t keep dragging his carcass along with them in the nine-spot.
Demoting him could even cost the Orioles a prospect promotion draft pick unless he spends most of the year in the MLB or wins Rookie of the Year.
Now What?
Holliday will aim to recover his batting prowess with Norfolk, where he hit .333 with five doubles, two home runs, and nine RBIs in 10 games this season before being called up by the Orioles.
Last season, Holliday shined in the minor leagues and was mastering Triple-A pitching in Norfolk. He did the same early this year, but the key is getting him to bring that success to the Major League level.
Jackson Holliday is batting 1.000 in his last 1 at-bats.
The haters are furious. pic.twitter.com/EfGwmYJvS0
— Barstool Are Dee Tee (@editti22) April 24, 2024
The Orioles’ best bet is to leave Holliday in Norfolk for an extended period, even if he excels again, and allow him to rebuild his confidence. He could hit .400 over the next two weeks, and I say just let him be, especially with the Orioles going up against many teams with strong left-handed pitching over the next few weeks.
Think of his time in the minors as slow-cooking a brisket. You could take it off now, and eating would be fine. But, if you want that blue-ribbon BBQ, you have to really take your time.
Question of the Day
Who is the No. 2 prospect in the MLB?
Brewers outfielder Jackson Cuourio is the second-ranked prospect in baseball. He’s currently hitting .207 in 92 at-bats with Milwaukee.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
