Orioles send former No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday back to minors after he hit .059 in 10 MLB games

Orioles demote struggling No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday after .059 average in 10 MLB appearances.

Orioles Send Top Prospect Jackson Holliday to Minors After Disappointing Start

 

BALTIMORE  — The Baltimore Orioles have made the decision to option highly touted prospect Jackson Holliday to the minor leagues following a lackluster beginning to his Major League career.

 

Holliday, who was called up from Triple-A Norfolk on April 10 amid much anticipation, struggled to find his footing in the big leagues. The 20-year-old second baseman recorded just two hits, both singles, and drew two walks in 36 plate appearances across 10 games. With 18 strikeouts to his name, Holliday was batting a meager .059 with one RBI and a .111 on-base percentage.

 

Despite attempts to provide him with periodic rest, Holliday failed to break out of his slump at the plate. Consequently, the Orioles made the decision to send him back to Norfolk before commencing a three-game series at home against the Oakland Athletics.

 

General manager Mike Elias explained, “We decided to call him up and see how the translation to the major leagues would go on a short-term basis. What we have seen here led me to the evaluation and opinion that he would benefit from going back and adjusting there rather than doing it here in real time.”

 

Holliday will now aim to rediscover his form at the plate with Norfolk, where he boasted a .333 batting average with five doubles, two home runs, and nine RBIs in 10 games earlier this season before his call-up to the Orioles.

 

Having excelled in the minors last season and showcased dominance against Triple-A pitching, Holliday's struggle to replicate that success in the majors has prompted a reevaluation.

 

“He got very intense, very specific feedback from major league pitching,” Elias noted. “He’s a brilliant talent and a very sharp kid, and I expect he’s going to go implement those adjustments really quickly. But we felt that Triple-A and steady playing time in Triple-A was the place for that, for a number of different reasons.”

 

The Orioles, currently in a tight race in the American League East, are unable to afford prolonged development time for Holliday while contending for division honors. Consequently, this move is expected to provide more playing opportunities for veteran infielders Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo.

 

Manager Brandon Hyde emphasized the importance of Holliday simply getting back to playing without the weight of expectations. “It’s not easy here, and what he’s done up to this point in his short, short career, the start of his career has been unbelievable. It’s not easy, just not easy here. We want to take some weight off his shoulders and just go play,” Hyde stated.

 

As the son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, Jackson was initially considered a candidate to break into the big league club directly from spring training. However, starting with Norfolk and now facing a return, he looks to make the most of his second chance with Baltimore.

 

“It’s nothing that Jackson did. We were the ones that have been moving him along this quickly,” Elias reassured. “It’s a little hiccup. It’s probably the first one that he’s ever had, and he’s ultimately going to be better off for it.”

 

Holliday's demotion could potentially impact the Orioles' prospect promotion draft pick. According to stipulations, players with minimal MLB service time must either break camp with the team or be called up within two weeks of Opening Day and spend most of the year in the majors to avoid this consequence.

 

In conjunction with Holliday's option, the Orioles also announced the selection of outfielder Ryan McKenna's contract from Norfolk and the designation of catcher David Bañuelos for assignment in a roster shuffle on Friday.