Jackson Holliday gets into his defensive stance. Provided photo.

For the Baltimore Orioles, the Jackson Holliday era has officially begun. Taken first overall in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft, the 21-year-old infielder made his big league debut last April after just two short years in the minor leagues. Although a proven phenom in the minor leagues, Holliday struggled initially, going just 2-for-34 at the plate in 10 games before being demoted to Triple-A Norfolk on April 26.

Holliday’s struggles, however, weren’t completely unexpected. According to FanGraphs, the average amount of time for a first overall pick to make it to the Major Leagues is 3.6 years—the time for a high school draft pick is typically longer, around 4-6 years. Holliday’s demotion to the minor leagues, however, strengthened him as a player. After dominating Triple-A, hitting .259 with 20 doubles and eight home runs in 63 games, Holliday was promoted to Baltimore on July 31. While Holliday’s stats at the plate weren’t otherworldly, they were better than his initial call up—in August of 2024 he posted a .219 batting average, driving in 15 runs and slugging four home runs.

In 2025, Holliday will start his season in Baltimore after making the Orioles’ Opening Day roster. The young infielder will look to capitalize on a strong Spring Training in Sarasota, which saw him hit .333/.407/.865, with a home run and five stolen bases across 16 Grapefruit League games.

“If I can carry what I’ve done in spring into the regular season, then I’ll be very happy,” said Holliday after the Orioles' Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves on March 23. “I’d be happy with continuing to hit low line drives and hard ground balls that turn into doubles and triples.”

A shortstop by trade, Holliday switched over to second base at the big league level to accommodate the Orioles’ All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson. With Henderson on the injured list to start the year, Holliday will likely see increased time at shortstop, a more demanding defensive position than second base.

“I had enough experience at second base last year, where if I go over to short and move back to second, it feels a lot more comfortable than before,” said Holliday. “I don’t think that you can ever say that you’re exactly ready to play short stop every day in the big leagues, but I think that I’ve got a good understanding of what needs to be done.”

MLB Opening Day: Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays, March 27, 3:07 pm

Jackson Holliday gets into his defensive stance. Provided photo.

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