Jackson Holliday's imminent return may push Orioles fan favorite off the roster

Fans of the Baltimore Orioles did not have a lot to be happy about during the 2025 season. All of the young former prospects that fans were so excited to see take another step forward either took a step back, got hurt, or both. The starting pitching was disastrous the team often found itself down big early in games. By the trade deadline, they were well out of contention and, as expected, sold everything that wasn't nailed down. It was in this bleak circumstance that Jeremiah Jackson made his MLB debut and immediately became a fan favorite amongst the fans who went down with the ship in 2025.

Jackson was a minor league free agent, and his call-up was different than what Orioles fans have become accustomed to. He was not a top prospect, and his call-up did not make any headlines. Unless they were locked in on the Norfolk Tides, most Orioles fans probably didn't know who he was before he appeared in his first game as an Oriole.

Jeremiah Jackson will likely be the odd man out once Holliday returns but his demotion will be short-lived

Jackson came up swinging. He got hits in his first two games in the lineup, and from there on out, he was a regular. After 15 games of him slashing .333/.348/.444, Tony Mansolino moved him up to second in the batting order. Basically, conceding that he was one of the best hitters on the team. He wasn't just a flash in the pan, either. Obviously, the .333 batting average was due to come down, but after 48 games and 170 at-bats, his final line on the season was a very respectable .276/.328/.447.

With that kind of offensive performance, it's easy to see how Jackson became a fan favorite. On a team with so many players swinging for the fences and struggling to make contact, Jackson and his contact-oriented approach were a breath of fresh air. It also helps that he was a part of some of the few memorable highlights late in the season, like the Orioles' comeback win against the Dodgers on 2131 night.

In the offseason, the Orioles were unexpectedly busy adding Taylor Ward and Blaze Alexander to the roster, and maybe more surprisingly, they did not move on from either Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo. With so many additions and so few subtractions, it seemed like Jackson might get squeezed off the major league roster.

Injuries to Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday opened a path for Jackson to make the team, and he took advantage, but now that Holliday's return is imminent, it seems Jackson will be the one to pay the price. Of the Orioles' options to be sent down, he has played the least, and he has the most options. The Orioles are not DFAing Blaze Alexander, and Leody Taveras has made himself too important to be sent down.

So as much as Orioles fans want to see more of Jackson, they'll have to be patient. Getting sent down is not permanent, and with Jackson having converted to a super utilityman who can play the infield and the outfield, he'll be the first call-up, no matter who the next position player to go down is.