Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) — The Baltimore Orioles called up 20-year-old infielder, Jackson Holliday, and made an impact Sunday.

Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and is the son of seven-time All-Star, Matt Holliday. He joined the team over the weekend and picked up his first Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.

Holliday made his debut with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds in 2022 before flying through the minor league ranks in 2023. The Stillwater High School alum slashed .323/.442/.449 in 125 minor league games last season and finished the season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.

Holliday made a great case to make the big-league club out of spring training by batting .311 with two home runs but was sent down to Norfolk with just two days left in camp. Orioles general manager Mike Elias wanted Holliday to get more reps at second base and additional reps against left-handed pitching.

Holliday hit .400 with two doubles and a home run in 11 plate appearances against lefties during his short stint in Norfolk and didn’t have any strikeouts.

In nine games with the Tides, Holliday hit .342 with a 1.096 OPS to earn the call. The Orioles can gain an extra first-round pick due to the Prospect Promotion Incentive – which rewards teams for calling up their top prospects if they accrue a full year of service time and win the Rookie of the Year award.

The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year, Orioles shortstop Gunner Henderson, broke camp with the Major League club last season and earned Baltimore the No. 32 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Holliday is expected to play second base and will form an exciting middle infield duo alongside Henderson. Baltimore’s second basemen are combining to hit just .206 on the season and Holliday should prove to be a big upgrade.

The 20-year-old will join a group of young talent that already includes Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Grayson Rodriguez. The Orioles still have plenty of young talent waiting in the wings with Heston Kjerstad – the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 Draft –and Coby Mayo in Norfolk.

Kjerstad is one of five Norfolk players with an OPS above 1.100 and that doesn’t even include Holliday who was sitting at a 1.077 OPS prior to his call up.

Baltimore finished with a 101-61 record a year ago before being swept by the eventual World Series Champion, Texas Rangers, in the ALDS. The Orioles were aggressive this offseason by trading for former Cy Young award winner and three-time All-Star, Corbin Burnes and signing nine-time All-Star closer, Craig Kimbrel.

The Orioles are 9-6 on the young season. Holliday’s first appearance in an Orioles uniform was surely one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory.

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