Orioles’ Jackson Holliday problem includes multiple issues originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Jackson Holliday was once the top prospect in all of Major League Baseball.
Still just 22, the Baltimore Orioles‘ second baseman appears much less likely to reach the great heights that used to be part of his potential.
It’s not that Holliday is going to be a bust. It’s just that not everyone reaches their ceiling.
And right now, Holliday seems to be a long way from his ceiling.
Since returning from injury this season, Holliday is hitting .231 with a .725 OPS. As he finds his groove, those numbers might rise to a more solid area.
Still, this isn’t quite the Holliday that he was projected to be, and the injuries haven’t helped his cause.
“Holliday’s scouting reports are now a grade or two lower than in 2023, with the hit tool in particular taking a dip,” ESPN’s David Schoenfield wrote in a new article on Friday. “His bat speed last year was well below average, and Holliday didn’t compensate with enough contact (140 strikeouts). Pitchers were beating him with fastballs, so even though he showed strong plate discipline, they could still attack him when behind in counts. His range metrics at second base were also poor.”
Holliday always had the last name, being the son of Matt Holliday, as another reason to believe in him, too.
“The hope is the baseball ‘gene’ he inherited from father Matt will kick in with additional experience, but his ceiling certainly appears lower than the Orioles had hoped it would be a few years ago — more of a good player in the long run than a regular All-Star,” Schoenfield writes.
The last name could also overdo the hype, as well, so it’s tough to say where exactly Holliday goes from here.
He should be a long-term starter, whether in Baltimore or elsewhere. It’ll just take a rebound to get back to his full level of hype that he arrived in the majors with.
