Top-ranked prospect Jackson Holliday makes debut with Orioles, goes 0-for-4 in O’s comeback win

April 11, 2024

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Jackson Holliday has officially made his Major League Baseball debut.

Holliday took the field with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in their 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 20-year-old, who is the top-ranked prospect in baseball, was called up to the club from the team’s Triple-A affiliate on Tuesday.

Holliday got the start at second base for the Orioles, and he turned a perfect double play in the second inning.

He stepped up to the plate for the first time in the third and struck out swinging in his first major-league at-bat. In the fifth, Holliday reached base on a fielder’s choice. He recorded his first RBI on a groundout in the sixth that made it 5-3 Boston (video above). Then he struck out again in the seventh, finishing the night 0-for-4 at the plate.

The Orioles flew ahead in the seventh after Ryan O’Hearn scored on a wild pitch and Jordan Westburg drilled a three-run homer. That capped a 7-0 run for the Orioles after they were down 5-0 and propelled them to the two-run victory.

Holliday, who is the son of longtime MLB outfielder Matt Holiday, learned Tuesday that he was being called up to the Orioles. His manager sat him down and told him to call his father when he broke the news.

The Orioles then announced Wednesday that Holliday would wear No. 7, the number Cal Ripken Sr. wore when he was the team’s manager.

Our family is thrilled that @J_Holliday7 will be wearing dad’s #7 … Excited to watch him play!

— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) April 10, 2024

Veteran infielder Tony Kemp, who was designated for assignment as part of the move, was supportive of Holliday on social media.

In the fall of 2010, our college had a series against the Longhorns for a 3 game set. Our hitting coach at the time was Josh Holliday and his brother, Matt, brought his kid to our early practice. I remember watching his son @J_Holliday7 with a sweet lefty swing. Go get em’ kid!

— Tony Kemp (@tonykemp) April 10, 2024

The Orioles selected Holliday with the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 out of high school in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He spent last season progressing through their minor-league clubs and then joined the Orioles for spring training this year. He returned to the Norfolk Tides to start the season despite being “very, very close.”

“He’s very ahead of schedule,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said before the season started. “He’s done remarkably well. We couldn’t be more excited about his future. But you’re talking about the development of a player who has the opportunity to be one of the better, if not best, players in the league.”

Holliday hit .333/.482/.585 and had nine RBI and two home runs in 10 games with the Tides before he was called up. He was drafted as a shortstop but played second base with the Tides.

The Orioles wrap up the three-game series in Boston on Thursday before returning to Baltimore for a six-game homestand that starts Friday.

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