Jackson Holliday‘s return to the majors has been strong and could be the boost the Baltimore Orioles needed. On July 31st, the day after the trade deadline, the Orioles called up Holliday to the majors for the second time. The No. 1 prospect in MLB is quickly showing why he is viewed so highly in his second outing in the majors.
Holliday’s Infamous First Call Up
After a strong Spring Training, Holliday expected his name to be listed on the Opening Day roster for the Orioles. However, the team did not believe he was ready for the majors and decided to assign him to their Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides. Holliday disagreed with this choice and proved it quickly in the minors. In 10 games, the 20-year-old was hitting 0.333 with two home runs.
This made the Orioles believe they made the wrong choice and decided to call him up. He proved to them that their first choice was the right choice. Holliday was outright terrible. It took until his fourth career game to record his first hit. Unfortunately, things did not get better for him as it took until his 10th game to get his second. He also struck out 18 times in that stretch. After that, the Orioles saw enough and sent him back down to Norfolk. Everyone still believed that he was a very talented player and thought he just needed another year to develop.
Holliday Called Up Again
At the trade deadline, the Orioles sent another second baseman prospect, Connor Norby, to the Miami Marlins as part of the trade for starting pitcher Trevor Rogers. Norby was already filling in for Jorge Mateo who was injured on July 23rd. With the gap at second base, the Orioles decided Holliday was ready for his second chance.
So far, Holliday has taken full advantage of this new opportunity. In his first game, he smacked a grand slam that was ultimately the difference-maker against the Toronto Blue Jays. In his third game back, he not only matched his total hits from his first stint but passed it as well. Currently, in his second go-around, he is hitting .389 with two homers, seven RBI, five runs, and a 1.254 OPS in five games, which is providing a nice boost to the team.
Baltimore appears to be feeding off the energy Holliday has provided as they split a four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. The Orioles appeared to be getting into a slump by the end of July. However, after an even series with the top team in the American League, it seems they are back on the correct flight path. In the final game of the series, the Orioles were given a nice boost from Holliday’s second career home run, as well as a two-run home run from former top prospect Gunnar Henderson in the same inning.
Looking Ahead
Jackson Holliday will look to continue his hot streak in the team’s next three-game series against the Blue Jays. After that, the team will travel to face the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series. Then they will return to Camden Yards for a six-game homestand. The team starts this homestand against the Washington Nationals. This will be the first time Holliday and the No. 2 prospect James Wood will face off. Hopefully, this will be the first of many for the two potential future stars.
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