Potential Orioles Draft Pick Jackson Holliday: Going No. 1 Would Be ‘Very Special’

Back in 2010, the Baltimore Orioles hit a home run with their first-round pick when they selected an infielder from Florida named Manny Machado, who was not even 18 at the time of that draft. He was selected as a shortstop but moved to third prior for his big league debut.

Machado provided several superb seasons for Baltimore before being shipped out as part of the beginning stages of the Orioles’ rebuild in 2018. Fast forward to 2022, and Baltimore is in a spot to select an infielder with eerie similarities to Machado in Jackson Holliday.

“[Being drafted No. 1 overall] would mean a lot. It’s a great accomplishment,” Holliday said on Glenn Clark Radio June 21. “No matter what team it is, I’m [going to] be grateful, but to be the first pick would be very special.”

Holliday, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, is the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday. Jackson Holliday is committed to Oklahoma State, where his uncle, Josh, is the head coach.

Holliday, Collegiate Baseball‘s National High School Player of the Year, compiled 89 hits this spring — a new national record, eclipsing the previous mark set by current Philadelphia Phillies three-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto in 2010.

Among his 89 base knocks, Holliday crushed 17 home runs, 29 doubles and six triples. He finished with a slash line of .685/.749/1.392. Holliday stole 30 bags and committed just three errors in 150 chances, displaying an impact everywhere on the field.

Holliday has plans to stay at shortstop for his entire career. He believes there are “no Plan B’s,” and that shortstop is “a premier position to be able to play.”

“I think I’m one of the better all-around players. I really enjoy pretty much every aspect of the game and I really enjoy competing,” Holliday said. “I feel like I’m a very good defender. I really love playing defense, and the rest of my game takes care of itself.”

If the Orioles draft Holliday and he remains at shortstop as he wishes, he will undoubtedly be compared to Cal Ripken Jr., one of the biggest legends in Baltimore sports history. In fact, Holliday played in a Ripken Baseball tournament in Myrtle Beach when he was 12. Holliday was named MVP of the tournament.

“It’s definitely really neat to think about. [Ripken] had an incredible career. He’s an incredible player and it would mean a lot to play for that organization. … He was awesome to watch,” Holliday said.

Holliday says learning from his father has helped him achieve the success he’s had in during short baseball journey thus far.

“We lived with my dad wherever he went, [and] most of the season was in the summer, so I got to go to the field every day with him and got to see all the players, their work ethic and just how they got to the point where they were at, and it’s been very influential for me,” Holliday said.

In addition to spending time around major league ballplayers during the season, Holliday spent time around big leaguers during the winter as well. For example, three-time All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter spent time with the Holliday family prior to this season. Matt helped Carpenter work on his swing following a disappointing 2021 campaign that saw him hit .169 with a slugging percentage of just .275. The two played together in St. Louis from 2011-2016.

And a few winters ago, six-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado stayed with the Holliday family. Arenado and Matt crossed paths in Holliday’s final season, when they both played for the Colorado Rockies in 2018.

“It was really neat for me to see just how passionate he is about the game and how serious he takes even ground balls in December and it’s raining,” Holliday said of Arenado.

Off the field, Holliday tries to live his life much like any 18-year old teenager would. Currently, he is spending time watching his little brother, Ethan, on his own baseball journey down in Jupiter, Fla. Holliday likes to go to the beach and fish, one of his favorite hobbies, in Jupiter.

Holliday’s life is set to change forever soon with the MLB Draft beginning on July 17, so it may be easy for him to get caught up in it all. However, Holliday’s motto is “pressure is a privilege,” so he simply takes life one day at a time and tries leave a positive imprint on everyone he meets.

“I like to carry myself to very high standards as a person, more than a player. I care about people, and I care about my faith,” Holliday said. “… I try to get along with everybody and make an impact more than on the field.”

For more from Holliday, listen to the full interview here:

Photo Credit: Josh Dean Photography