Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Chance to make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Orioles GM Mike Elias said Thursday that Holliday will be in major-league camp next spring with a chance to make the Opening Day roster, Danielle Allentuck of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Holliday is only 19 years old, but the dynamic young shortstop prospect has done nothing but rake since being selected first overall in the 2022 MLB Draft out of a high school in Oklahoma. The son of Matt Holliday, he put together a .323/.442/.499 batting line with 12 homers, 30 doubles and nine triples in 125 games this summer while rising from Low-A Delmarva all the way to Triple-A Norfolk. Jorge Mateo served as the O's primary starter at short during the 2023 regular season and slashed just .217/.267/.340 across 350 plate appearances.
Holliday will be promoted from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk this week, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.
Holliday began the season at Single-A Delmarva but continues to progress quickly through the Orioles' farm system, and he'll join his fourth affiliate of the season this week. Over 106 games this year, he's slashed .329/.449/.523 with 11 homers, 95 runs, 67 RBI and 22 stolen bases. The top prospect in baseball will now be one step away from joining the major-league club, but it's unclear whether the Orioles will make that move late in the 2023 campaign.
Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Activated off minor-league IL
Rotowire
Holliday (illness) was activated from the 7-day minor-league injured list Friday at Double-A Bowie, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Holliday spent exactly one week on the minor-league IL as he recovered from an illness. The 19-year-old top prospect has delivered a tremendous .334/.458/.523 batting line with eight home runs and 20 stolen bases in 81 games this season between Low-A Delmarva, High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie.
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Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Out several days with illness
Rotowire
Holliday will be sidelined several days at Double-A Bowie due to an illness, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Holliday has yet to be challenged at any level, including Bowie, where he's posted a .924 OPS in his first 10 games. He'll need a little breather to get well, though, before trying to finish strong in what is his first full pro season.
The Orioles promoted Holliday from High-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie on Sunday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Baltimore is using the final day before the All-Star break to move several youngsters up a rung on the minor-league ladder, and no promotion is more significant than that of Holliday, the top prospect in the system and perhaps all of baseball. The 19-year-old is on the move for the second time this season, as he showed no signs of slowing down after making the jump to Aberdeen following a 14-game stint with Single-A Delmarva to begin the campaign. Despite being one of the younger hitters in the South Atlantic League, Holliday turned in a .314/.452/.502 slash line while walking at a 19.5 percent clip and striking out in 20.8 percent of his 259 plate appearances. The young shortstop was also a menace on the basepaths, notching 17 steals in 24 attempts.
Holliday is slashing .359/.488/.612 with four home runs, nine steals, a 20.2 percent strikeout rate and a 19.4 percent walk rate in 29 games for High-A Aberdeen.
Holliday wasted no time this season throwing his hat into the ring for best prospect in baseball, as he has now dominated Single-A (230 wRC+) and High-A (195 wRC+) and won't turn 20 until December. The most notable skill development for Holliday relative to preseason scouting reports is that he has been clocked as a plus-plus runner this year. He has stolen 12 bases on 17 attempts in 43 games and projects as a five-category superstar in the majors.
