Jackson Holliday
Holliday with the Florida Complex League Orioles in 2022
Baltimore Orioles – No. 87
Shortstop / Second baseman
Born: (2003-12-04) December 4, 2003
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Jackson Matthew Holliday (born December 4, 2003) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He was selected first overall by the Orioles in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He is the son of former MLB player and 7-time All-Star Matt Holliday.

Amateur career

Holliday attended Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Oklahoma.[1] After his freshman year, he committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma State University.[2] As a junior in 2021, Holliday batted .500 with six home runs and fifty runs batted in (RBIs).[3] He was also named the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.[4] That summer, he played in various national events including the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park.[5] He also was named to USA Baseball's 18U team.[6]

Holliday entered his senior year in 2022 as a top prospect for the upcoming draft.[7][8][9] During a game against Union High School, he hit three home runs.[10] In another game, he hit two home runs in the same inning.[11] He finished the season batting .685 with 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, 29 doubles, and 30 stolen bases over forty games.[12] He set a national record for hits in a season for an amateur player with 89, surpassing the previous record of 88 set by J. T. Realmuto in 2010.[13] He was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.[14] He was the third in his family to win the award alongside his father and uncle.[15] He was also awarded an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove.[16]

Professional career

The Baltimore Orioles selected Holliday with the first overall pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[17] He signed with the team for $8.19 million, the largest signing bonus ever for a high school player.[18][19]

Holliday made his professional debut on August 11, 2022 with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Orioles, going 1 for 3 with a stolen base.[20] He was later promoted to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Single-A Carolina League.[21] Over twenty games between both teams, he batted .297 with one home run, nine RBIs, and four stolen bases.[22]

Holliday progressed through each of the Orioles' top four minor-league affiliates during the 2023 season.[23] He began with the Shorebirds where he batted .396/.522/.660 with six doubles, one triple, two homers and 16 RBI in 14 games.[24][25] He was promoted twice during the first four months, first to the High–A Aberdeen IronBirds on April 24 and then to the Double–A Bowie Baysox on July 9.[26][27] His slash line with the Ironbirds was .314/.452/.488 with 11 doubles, five triples, five homers, and 35 RBI in 57 games.[25] He hit .338/.421/.507 with nine doubles, three triples, three homers and 15 RBI in 36 games with the Baysox before his final promotion of the campaign to the Triple–A Norfolk Tides on September 4.[23] In 18 contests for Norfolk, he batted .267/.396/.400 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. Following the season, Holliday was named the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year.[28]

Personal life

Holliday is the son of former major leaguer and seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday.[29] His brother, Ethan, also plays baseball at Stillwater and is committed to play college baseball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team.[30] Holliday's uncle, Josh Holliday, is the head baseball coach at Oklahoma State.[31]

Holliday is a Christian. He has said, "Faith plays a major role in baseball and my life. I want to honor the Lord in everything that I do and I try to represent that on the field, through my actions and how I carry myself on and off the field."[32]

On December 28, 2022, Holliday got engaged to his girlfriend, Chloé Cox. They were married on January 6, 2024.[33]

References

  1. ↑ Dahn, Jeff (December 21, 2020). "'Holliday' spirit sparkles in Stillwater". Perfect Game USA.
  2. ↑ Lancaster, Zach (August 27, 2019). "Jackson Holliday commits to Oklahoma State". 247Sports.com.
  3. ↑ Jackson, James (June 20, 2021). "Meet The Oklahoman's 2021 All-City baseball team". The Oklahoman.
  4. ↑ Jackson, James (May 23, 2021). "Oklahoma high school baseball: COAC announces 2021 All-Conference selections". The Oklahoman.
  5. ↑ "Stillwater's Jackson Holliday to play in Perfect Game All-American Classic". The Oklahoman. August 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ Lewis, Barry (August 31, 2021). "USA Baseball selects Owasso's Brennan Phillips, Stillwater's Jackson Holliday to 18U team". Tulsa World.
  7. ↑ Elmquist, Jason (February 24, 2022). "Stillwater High senior Jackson Holliday a top 15 prospect on ESPN's MLB draft board". NewsPress.
  8. ↑ Law, Keith (March 10, 2022). "MLB Draft ranking 2022: Keith Law's top prospects and a rare question — where are the college pitchers?". The Athletic.
  9. ↑ Callis, Jim (April 25, 2022). "New Draft Top 150 list: Unprecedented 1st round?". MLB.com.
  10. ↑ Hart, Hallie (March 29, 2022). "Stillwater baseball team rallies for walk-off win against Tulsa Union". NewsPress.
  11. ↑ Stephens, Mitch (April 22, 2022). "CC Sabathia, Mark McGwire among former MLB stars with sons playing high school baseball this spring". MaxPreps.
  12. ↑ Hood, Scott (May 23, 2022). "Jackson Holliday Has Record Setting Season". Prep Baseball Report.
  13. ↑ Unruh, Jacob (May 23, 2022). "Matt Holliday has lived a charmed baseball life. His oldest son, Jackson, could be next". The Oklahoman.
  14. ↑ "Stillwater's Jackson Holliday named Oklahoma high school baseball Gatorade Player of the Year".
  15. ↑ "Stillwater's Jackson Holliday joins father, uncle as Gatorade's state baseball player of the year winners".
  16. ↑ "2022 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Teams Announced".
  17. ↑ "O's take Jackson Holliday, son of Matt, with No. 1 pick". MLB.com.
  18. ↑ "Orioles sign No. 1 overall draft pick Jackson Holliday". National Post. Reuters. July 27, 2022.
  19. ↑ "O's welcome No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday". MLB.com. July 27, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Orioles minor league recap 8/11: Jackson Holliday debuts". August 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Orioles first overall pick Jackson Holliday will debut with Shorebirds on Thursday".
  22. ↑ "Jackson Holliday Stats, Fantasy & News".
  23. 1 2 Melewski, Steve. "Source: Jackson Holliday is being promoted to Triple-A Norfolk," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Sunday, September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Holliday opens '23 in Delmarva with sights set on Double-A". MLB.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Rill, Jake. "Bowie preparing to celebrate a new Holliday," Aberdeen Ironbirds, Sunday, July 9, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Jackson Holliday Promoted to Aberdeen IronBirds," MiLB.com, Monday, April 24, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  27. ↑ Melewski, Steve. "No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday being promoted to Double-A (Mayo & McDermott to AAA)," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Sunday, July 9, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Jackson Holliday Wins 2023 Minor League Player of the Year Award". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  29. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (October 25, 2007). "Holliday's Son Follows the Family Tradition". The New York Times.
  30. ↑ Hart, Hallie (May 3, 2022). "Holliday brothers rely on competitiveness, camaraderie to create special varsity season together". NewsPress.
  31. ↑ "From 3-year-old in the clubhouse to the No. 1 pick: Inside Jackson Holliday's journey to MLB draft night". July 17, 2022.
  32. ↑ Doering, Joshua (July 18, 2022). "Jackson Holliday goes No. 1 in MLB draft to Orioles, aims to glorify God through baseball". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Jackson Holliday pops the question to his girlfriend Chloé Cox". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
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