MLB Rumors: Ohtani failed trade, Blue Jays extensions, Jackson Holliday
- Blue Jays want to "sustain the opportunity to win" in free agency
- Jackson Holliday hopes to make O's roster in 2024
- Angels passed up massive trade haul for Shohei Ohtani
MLB Rumors: Orioles' Jackson Holliday will compete for roster spot in 2024 spring training
Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, will participate in Baltimore Orioles spring training with a goal of making the 2024 roster, according to GM Mike Elias.
What we learned from Mike Elias End of the Season Press Confrence:
— 𝙆𝙣𝘽 (@kazknowsball) October 12, 2023
• Brandon Hyde Will return as manager
• Jackson Holliday will be with the O’s in spring training with hopes to make the team
• The O’s will be making room for prospects coming up
• DL Hall is here to stay pic.twitter.com/sS0Zkvw0JZ
There has to be natural excitement for Orioles fans, who view the 19-year-old as the potential next piece of the competitive puzzle. Baltimore shocked the baseball world with an impressive 101-win season, but the No. 1 seed in the American League was just swept out of the ALDS by the Texas Rangers. There's a lot of work left to be done.
Holliday, who splits time between shortstop and second base, is currently the No. 1 prospect in the league according to MLB Pipeline.
"The combination of nature and nurture certainly come into play, with growing up around the game clearly helping Holliday’s overall skillset. He has an extremely advanced approach at the plate, and he showed it off by walking more than twice as much as he struck out during his debut last summer. He has a simple left-handed stroke he got back to after his swing got a little long last summer, allowing him make more hard contact than ever, with plenty of power coming organically from his swing."
The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holiday, the younger Holiday comes from a strong baseball family. The Orioles were a great team in large part due to the explosive young players graduating out of the farm system. With Holliday ascending quicker than expected — along with other top prospects like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad in the outfield — the Orioles are about to get another strong influx of talent in the years to come.
Holliday slashed .323/.442/.941 with 12 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases in 477 minor league at-bats this season.