Jackson Holliday had some very cute inspiration for his breakout night

Once the consensus top prospect in the sport, a supposedly can't-miss talent who tore through the Minors in record time, Jackson Holliday was given a rude introduction to life in MLB last season, hitting .189 with 69 strikeouts across 60 games as a rookie. But after an offseason in which he transformed both his swing and his body, Holliday and the Baltimore Orioles expressed plenty of optimism this spring that he was ready to break out in 2025.

Things haven't played out that way so far. Holliday entered Wednesday's matchup with the Cleveland Guardians sporting a dismal .213/.229/.340 slash line and just three extra-base hits over his first 14 games. Even worse, he'd become more or less a platoon player, with Baltimore sitting him against most left-handed starters. It was so bad that even his most ardent supporters had to wonder whether the 21-year-old would ever be able to figure it out at the big-league level.

Wednesday finally brought some cause for optimism, though. The O's cruised to a 9-1 win, and Holliday launched a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning to help break things open.

Maybe this is what Holliday needs to start living up to his lofty expectations, the sort of swing Baltimore envisioned when it drafted him No. 1 overall back in 2022. So, what sparked the change? A mechanical adjustment? A new torpedo bat, perhaps?

As it turns out, the answer was far fluffier than that.

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Jackson Holliday's dog Coconut inspires grand slam vs. Guardians

It just so happens that Wednesday was Bark at the Park night at Camden Yards. And for Holliday, that meant his dog Coconut was in attendance — and Coconut demanded excellence.

"Just for Coconut," Holliday said when asked about the homer after the game. "Not the team. Just Coconut."

Hey, laugh if you want. But you can't prove that Holliday wouldn't homer in every game at which Coconut appeared. Maybe Baltimore needs to start including a seat for the dog on every road trip, just to be safe. At this point, mired in last place in the AL East at 7-10 even after Wednesday's win, it can't hurt.