Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday has been making plenty of noise in the minor leagues in the past year.
Holliday, 19, was selected first overall in the 2022 MLB Draft last July, and the Oklahoma native has been nothing less than outstanding during his minor league career.
Holliday played in the Florida Complex League and with Low-A Delmarva in 2022 after signing with the Orioles. He returned to the Shorebirds to begin the 2023 season, slashing .396/.522/.660 with nine extra-base hits before being bumped up to High-A Aberdeen.
The 6-foot, 185-pound shortstop is hitting .318/.460/.520 with 47 hits, 36 runs, 25 RBIs and five home runs with the IronBirds entering play on June 16.
“It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been able to have some pretty good success here lately,” Holliday said on Glenn Clark Radio June 13. “I think just being able to challenge myself each day and be around a bunch of really good guys that want to better themselves, so we challenge each other every day and we practice hard, and it’s able to carry over into the games.”
Holliday is the No. 3 prospect in baseball behind St. Louis Cardinals third base and outfield prospect Jordan Walker and Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Jackson Chourio, according to MLB Pipeline. He is on track to get to Double-A Bowie before long.
“I have goals, and I would like to reach them. I think a good goal is to be in Double-A by the end of the year and then the next two levels the next year,” Holliday said. “Definitely just taking it day by day has helped me get to the point where I’m at now, and just trying to give them no reason to keep me here.”
Holliday primarily plays shortstop for the IronBirds but has mixed in some second base. He feels comfortable playing both positions, but his main priority is to help his team win baseball games.
“I think it’s just giving more opportunities to guys to play other positions. It’s important in the organization to be able to play lots of positions,” Holliday said. “… Being able to play multiple positions is very important, and second base is a pretty simple one to have as your secondary.”
The shortstop position has a rich history in Baltimore. Cal Ripken Jr. won two MVPs playing shortstop for the Orioles. Now, Holliday plays his home games at Ripken Stadium.
“It’s an honor to be able to share the same position,” Holliday said.
Holliday, who got to play in a Ripken Baseball tournament when he was younger, now sees all the young ballplayers on the complex in Aberdeen. He said it’s all come full circle for him.
“It’s cool to see all of the little kids, especially up here in Aberdeen with the Cal Ripken tournament being right here, it’s cool to see all the kids that come out to the game and want your autograph,” Holliday said. “I remember when I was that age and wanted to get big leaguers’ autographs, so it’s pretty cool to see and be a part of.”
With the Orioles turning around the organization in recent years, they have real potential to win a World Series in the coming years.
“It is really awesome to be able to finish our game and look at the MLB app to see that they won again,” Holliday said. “It’s really neat to see, and it’s awesome to follow some of these guys that I got to be with during big league training.”
For more from Holliday, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Patrick Cavey