Orioles may have quietly found another young core building block

After a red-hot series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jeremiah Jackson is now a household name in the Grand Canyon State. Through 18 games, Jackson is the Orioles' team leader in WAR, RBI, and OPS on top of playing solid defense at second base, which has been a defensive hole on the Orioles for years.

Jackson is younger than Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, only a year older than Coby Mayo and Dylan Beavers, and he is under contract through 2031. This begs the question: what does Jackson have to do to be considered a part of the Orioles' "promising young core"?

Jackson joined the Orioles as a minor league signing with no hype; he appeared on no top prospect lists, and his debut didn't make headlines. But since his debut last season, he's been more productive than all the Orioles former top prospects except for Gunnar Henderson. He's not a perfect player, but every team needs capable and versatile guys to fill in the cracks, and that seems like exactly what he can do for the Orioles.

Jeremiah Jackson must make small adjustment to secure his spot on Orioles

Doubts about Jackson are not entirely without merit, and you can't build a case for his inclusion in the Orioles' core without addressing them.

Jackson's profile as a hitter is extreme. He has not walked all season. There is only one hitter in the league who has had as many PAs as Jackson and also not walked, and that's Brett Baty. If you look at hitters with at least 50 PAs and 3 or fewer walks, it's a list of really bad hitters or hitters who are supposed to be good but are really struggling.

You don't have to look beyond Jackson for an example of what his profile looks like if he's not getting hits. Before his current six-game hit streak started, he was slashing .214/.233/.214, and he seemed like the obvious choice to be sent down once Jackson Holliday returned from the IL. That kind of stat line is why some people are concerned about his longevity.

Now to rebut these points: Why can't he get better?

Colton Cowser, is also incredibly streaky and needs to improve his ability to hit offspeed pitches if he wants to stay in the big leagues. Coby Mayo needs to improve on almost everything if he wants to be a big leaguer.

Jackson is young enough that it's still reasonable that he could improve his plate discipline with coaching. He doesn't need to become Adley Rutschman, but if he could get to where Ryan Mountcastle was in his better seasons, with a 7% walk rate or so, that would do a lot for his consistency and isn't really that big a developmental leap.

It's also worth noting that Jackson has some real pedigree; he was a second-round pick out of high school (Is there anyone on the Orioles who was drafted in the second round out of an Alabama high school that turned out ok?).

He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels and spent five years in their system. They're not exactly famous for developing hitters. The same way everyone is hoping we haven't seen the best versions of Cowser, Mayo, and the Orioles' other young players, it's not crazy to think there's another level for Jackson to reach.

If Jackson turns in a second straight above-average season at the plate and combines it with above-average defense at second, it may be time for some uncomfortable conversations about finding him a permanent position on the team.

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