Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Baltimore Orioles are off to a shaky 4-6 start in the competitive AL East, trailing the New York Yankees by 3.5 games.
- Jackson Holliday is set to return from a fractured hand within the next couple of weeks, and will need to step up immediately.
- While other young core players and pitching improvements are crucial, all eyes will be on Holliday to carry the offensive load.
If former number one overall pick Jackson Holliday didn't feel pressure before, he sure will now. His Baltimore Orioles are off to a shaky start in the 2026 after coming off a disastrous 2025 campaign. This is a team that most certainly should be postseason contenders but have underperformed for an unprecedented amount of time.
The 22-year-old second baseman is currently recovering from a fractured bone in his hand but is expected to make a return to the big league lineup within the next couple of weeks and all eyes will be on Holliday to see if he can turn Baltimore's woes around.
The O's are currently 4-6 through their first 10 games of the season, which doesn't seem atrocious this early in the year but remember, they play in the AL East. The New York Yankees are already clicking on all cylinders and have built a 3.5 game lead in the division over the now third place Orioles. The organization and the Baltimore fanbase will unfairly be expecting Holliday to put the team on his back as soon as he returns.
The Orioles need Jackson Holliday to come back in a big way
When a player earns the title of "number one overall pick" they immediately place a target on their back from day one of their professional career. Ever since Holliday was drafted in 2022, it feels that his every move has been viewed through a magnifying glass.
Holliday has shown flashes of how great he can be through his first 200+ MLB games but has more consistently displayed how extreme the struggles can get. Holliday's high volume of strikeouts (209 through 209 games) remains a concern but there is optimism he will solve this issue in 2026.
Although the Orioles have struggled without Holliday in the lineup, if their troubles continue upon his return, it feels inevitable that he will still have to endure the blame. Fans love to jump to conclusions and judge players after a small sample size of appearances. In the grand scheme of things, 200+ games into his career at just 22 years of age, there is a lot for Holliday to learn and it will take time. Unfortunately for him, the year is 2026 and no one has time anymore.
Especially considering the catasophry 2025 turned out to be for the Orioles, the expectation is be back in the postseason this year. Holliday will most certainly need some help from other young core pieces like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman for Baltimore's offense to reach its full potential but it is worth noting their is more to the game than scoring runs. Preventing runs is equally as important.
Holliday's defensive abilities are not exactly in question but the Orioles' pitching staff on the other hand is. Baltimore made some decent offseason additions this winter with Chris Bassitt and Shane Baz but they could stand to acquire a true ace if they want to be really competitive.
There will be several other factors that go into how the Orioles' season plays out in addition to Holliday's performance upon his return. However, it will be Holliday's performance and his performance alone that O's fans will watch closely. This will be a hero or villian situation for Holliday.