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NASHVILLE — Orioles manager Brandon Hyde knows a thing or two about young phenoms.
There was Gunnar Henderson of course, who debuted in 2022 at 21 years old and went on to win American League Rookie of the Year the next season. A decade ago it was Giancarlo Stanton, who, with Hyde as his bench coach in Miami, made it to the majors in 2010 at just 20.
Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, may just be the best of them all. Holliday, who turned 20 on Monday, ascended to Triple-A in his first full professional season. Now, he’s one step away from the major leagues, with a chance to crack the Opening Day roster.
“I’ve never seen a kid that young go that fast and have that much success, especially at a high level like Triple-A,” Hyde said Tuesday at the winter meetings. “The numbers he’s put up throughout his short minor league career, especially for his age, is really incredible. I think we are going to give him as much looks as possible in spring training, give him every opportunity.”
And in general manager Mike Elias’ view, he’s the only prospect who’s off-limits on the trade market.
The decision to promote Holliday will be based off more than just his numbers — which, across four levels last year, included a .323 average and a .941 OPS. The Orioles want to make sure, given his young age, that Holliday will be ready mentally to handle major league life. There’s increased pressure and more responsibilities in addition to the higher playing level.
This mental fortitude, though, is something the Orioles have tracked since their pre-draft conversations. They picked him not only because of his talent, but also because of his ability to handle himself.
“It’s something we’ve emphasized quite heavily with our high picks,” Elias said. “It’s the hardest factor to measure, but it might be the most important factor for people reaching their ceilings or being disappointments ... what’s going on between the ears.”
Holliday also has an advantage that most players don’t. He grew up in a major league clubhouse, trailing after his father Matt Holliday, who played for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees during his 15-year career.
“He’s not going to be overwhelmed about what playing in the big leagues is like because he’s been in that environment before,” Hyde said. “That’s a big deal. The major leagues is a lot different than Triple-A. Whether we feel he’s ready to handle that, we’ll see.”
When Holliday does make it to Baltimore he’ll likely switch between second base and shortstop. The Orioles plan to rotate their infielders, as they did last season. That means Henderson will split time at shortstop and third with Jordan Westburg at second and third. Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías, who have both already signed for next season, will also be in the mix.
Henderson and Holliday are left-handed bats, while Westburg, Mateo and Urías are right-handed.
“It’s nice to have so many movable pieces and talented guys I think it’s going to be a mix and match,” Hyde said.
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Danielle Allentuck covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner. She previously reported on the Rockies for the Denver Gazette and general sports assignments for The New York Times as part of its fellowship program. A Maryland native, Danielle grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Ithaca College.
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