Jackson Holliday’s start to his MLB career last season may not have gone the way he expected. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft skyrocketed through the minor league system and was called up in April of last year. However, he got off to a rocky start, going just 2 for 34 (.059 batting average) in his first 10 games before being sent back down.
Holliday was recalled in July and played in 50 more games to close out the season, hitting 34 for 156 (.218). He finished the year with a batting average of .189, slugging .311, and an on-base percentage of 25.5%, with five home runs and 23 runs batted in over 60 games.
Jackson Holliday Looking To Make Hitting Adjustment
Holliday now seems ready to move past those struggles. Just 21 years old, he has already shown promising signs this spring, hitting .314 with an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .871 in spring training.
In an interview with MLB Network’s Jake Peavy, Holliday discussed a swing adjustment that has helped him feel more comfortable.
“Towards the end of last year, kinda messing with the toe tap, in the cage trying to hit like Shohei Ohtani one day, just kinda went with it, and we were like, ‘Hey, that looks pretty good!’ And we rolled it out there the last few games of the regular season, played pretty well, and kinda built off that during the offseason.”
Big Leaguers watching Big Leaguers 🤝
Jackson Holliday credits his success with a toe tap to "trying to hit like Shohei Ohtani." pic.twitter.com/SQmt6w8qHV
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 16, 2025
If Holliday can find his swing and get on base at the level expected of him, he can be a difference-maker. He’s also been focused on becoming a bigger threat on the bases this spring.
“To have the freedom of just going out there and really working on it has been great. Just having the freedom to run as much as I want and not really have any consequences is pretty fun.”
The Baltimore Orioles certainly hope Holliday finds success in his second season, as it could take an already strong team to the next level. Baltimore is coming off a 91-win season but was eliminated in the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Royals in two games.
The year before, the Orioles won 101 games but were swept by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, struggling to find postseason success.
Several experts point to Baltimore’s youth as a factor. However, if Holliday and the Orioles’ young core can start producing, it could make a big difference in the short term and in Baltimore’s long-term success.