3 Orioles players Jackson Holliday could replace by end of season

Baltimore Orioles 20-year-old sensation, Jackson Holliday, has been a unanimous top-three prospect in baseball this year. The only other two players that have received recognition as better prospects than Holliday are the Pirates' ace Paul Skenes and the Nationals' young star James Wood.

Holliday had his shot to prove that he was the best prospect in the game early on in the season when the Orioles called him up, expecting stardom. The Orioles got quite the opposite though, as Holliday would go 2 for 34 with 18 strikeouts and a slashline of .059/.111/.059.

But he's been back down in Triple-A, where he's dominated like many expected him to. Holliday is slashing .273/.442/.471 with more walks than strikeouts at the Triple-A level. In reality, his struggle at the big-league level likely had more to do with him being overwhelmed mentally than his lack of ability to compete at the big-league level.

With that said, the Orioles are expected to call him back up to the big leagues this season as they push for the playoffs. Somebody will need to be replaced on the roster to make room for the top prospect in the game to be brought back up. Who are the most likely options?

3. Kyle Stowers could be tested by Jackson Holliday

Two years ago, Kyle Stowers was one of the Orioles' top prospects, ranked eighth in the organization according to MLB Pipeline. He's been with the big league team for the last three years but hasn't quite found his footing at this level yet.

Because he still has two options available, this is a route that the Orioles could pursue when they elevate Holliday back to the big leagues.

In all reality, Stowers could use a bit of everyday work again at the Triple-A level in order to find his approach, swing, and plate discipline back. While he's hitting over .300 in a short sample size this season, he's yet to walk and he's struck out 13 times in 36 at-bats. He's not a bad player, by any means, but with only receiving limited at-bats, he would be a better fit in the minor leagues until he can really help the Orioles out.

Now, to preface, I don't think that Stowers is the right choice to be replaced by Holliday. I think there are much better options to discuss.

2. Ramon Urias could be on the outs with Jackson Holliday

Now, we get into the most realistic two options to be replaced when Jackson Holliday finds his way to the big leagues again.

30-year-old Ramon Urias is the next option to discuss. Urias is slashing .233/.304/.377 with four home runs and seven doubles in 146 at-bats. He's been a quality depth piece for the Orioles, but when Holliday is being elevated, they won't need a depth piece like him anymore because Holliday will slot right into the starting nine.

Urias hasn't been a liability anywhere and this decision would have nothing to do with his ability, but more to do with the Orioles' overwhelming amount of talented prospects that are taking over Baltimore.

The decision with Urias would have to be a final one though, as he has no options left on his contract.

The other route that the Orioles could look at is trading Urias to a team that needs a bit of infield depth for a few backend prospects. This is a real possibility for the Orioles to look into because the other option would be to designate him for assignment. Urias would likely see a few suitors in the trade market if he became available.

1. Jorge Mateo could lose his roster spot thanks to Jackson Holliday

When Holliday is called up, he's going to be called up to play every day. He won't be a rotational piece or a platoon player. He won't be sitting out until the matchups are favorable. Jackson Holliday will play every day because anything less than that could stunt the 20-year-old's growth and development as a player.

When he does slot into the everyday lineup, he's likely going to play second base. Many see him as the shortstop of the future in Baltimore, but it's hard to argue that there's a better fit for that position than Gunnar Henderson, who's receiving MVP attention right now.

Holliday will be replacing Jorge Mateo in the lineup and he might even replace him on the roster.

Mateo, 29, has struggled a bit in 2024, slashing .234/.273/.413 on the season. He's in the exact same boat as the aforementioned Ramon Urias, too.

Mateo doesn't have options left on his contract and the Orioles could opt to try to trade him when they're set to call up Holliday.

There isn't a good chance that Mateo is going to make the postseason roster in Baltimore this season, not because of his lack of ability, but because of the imminent call-ups of Holliday and Coby Mayo.