Despite a 12-10 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, one bright spot for the Baltimore Orioles was young infielder Jackson Holliday. As the Orioles aim for their second consecutive postseason appearance, Holliday demonstrated why many MLB analysts and experts have ranked him as the top overall prospect in baseball. According to Birdland Insider on X (formerly Twitter), Holliday has become the youngest player in Orioles history to record three hits and score three runs in a single game.
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The loss dropped Baltimore to second place in the AL East, one game behind the New York Yankees. The Orioles are striving to secure their second straight AL East title after winning the division last year and claiming the top overall seed in the AL. Although they currently trail in the division, Holliday, the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, took another significant step forward in his developing MLB career.
Jackson Holliday and the Orioles Continue Their Playoff Push
Despite the defeat, the Orioles remain just one game behind the Yankees and are leading the AL Wild Card standings. They control their own destiny as long as they maintain their strong performance. It’s worth noting that two Wild Card teams reached the World Series last year, including the Texas Rangers, who ultimately won their first World Series title after defeating Baltimore in the playoffs.
Jackson Holliday is the youngest player in Orioles history to record three hits and score three runs in a single game. pic.twitter.com/l5jvLSfG3j
— Birdland Insider (@BirdlandInsider) August 17, 2024
With a wealth of young talent, Baltimore has the potential to make a deep postseason run. Holliday’s performance is just a glimpse of his contributions since rejoining the majors a few weeks ago. Friday’s game marked the first four-hit performance of his career. While his overall stats include a .200 average with five home runs and 15 RBIs, his impact since returning to the big-league club after the All-Star Break has been particularly noteworthy.
Since August 1st, Holliday has hit .239 with four home runs and nine RBIs. Prior to that, his last major league appearance was in late April. On July 31st, in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Holliday hit a grand slam, helping the Orioles to a 10-4 victory. His potential has become increasingly evident since his return to Camden Yards. If he continues to improve, the Orioles’ chances of capturing a World Series title in late October could improve as well.