Orioles insider makes it clear that 2025 breakout could still miss Opening Day roster

Last season, we saw something click for Jeremiah Jackson. The former 2018 second-round pick toiled in the minors for what seemed like a lifetime, beginning his pro career in the Los Angeles Angels' system before being traded to the Mets, and finally landing with the Baltimore Orioles last offseason via a minor league deal.

Jackson's top prospect sheen had long worn off. He was supposed to be organizational depth. Over the years, he learned multiple positions in order to stay relevant. At times, he flashed power and speed. Other times, the strikeout bug bit him far too hard, with K-rates exceeding 30% becoming commonplace. Jackson first hit Double-A 2022. It would take him three and a half years to master the level.

He began 2025 down at Double-A Chesapeake, and while his overall line of .254/.291/.412 wasn't overwhelming; he cleared a major hurdle, posting a strikeout rate of just 16.4%. That earned him a chance in Norfolk, marking the first time he'd ever reached Triple-A. There Jackson showed out, with an eye-popping .377/.400/.673 performance over 171 plate appearances.

The Orioles trade deadline sell-off gave him a shot. Baltimore called him up to the big leagues in July in order to fill out the roster, and Jackson took off. Slashing .276/.328/.447 with five homers while bouncing between the hot corner and the outfield, Jackson turned heads. According to Orioles insider Roch Kubatko, that might not be enough to secure an Opening Day roster spot.

Orioles insider indicates that Jeremiah Jackson might face an uphill battle in spring training to secure a spot on the opening day roster

The Orioles have a bit of a strange logjam going on. The outfield is incredibly crowded. Taylor Ward is obviously a lock, and it certainly seems as if Baltimore will give both Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser every opportunity to prove their worth. Tyler O'Neill isn't going anywhere due to his bloated contract, and Leody Taveras, despite being a reclamation project, probably wins an opening day job thanks to his ability to switch-hit, defensive prowess at all three outfield positions, and the fact that he has no remaining options left.

That's already five outfielders, and top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. will likely knock on the door at some point this year as well.

The infield is where things get interesting. There are some obvious locks, but then there's also the Ryan Mountcastle situation. For all intents and purposes, it looks like he'll be sticking around even though his only defensive home is at first base.

Ideally, a utility infielder would be in the mix, and that would seem to point to Jackson. While he only played on the dirt at third in the bigs last year, he has extensive experience at second and short as well, logging 50 games between Chesapeake and Norfolk at the game's premier defensive position last year. The numbers make it tough, though. Keeping a utility man would be smart, but it might not be feasible. Not unless Baltimore somehow finds a way to dump either Mountcastle or O'Neill in a trade.

There's another sneaky thing working against Jackson. The soon-to-be-26-year-old still has options remaining. Unlike most of the Orioles' projected 26-man roster, he can be stashed in the minors and called up when injury or performance dictates. That's not the case with so many of the players he'll be battling to crack the squad on opening day.

Baseball sense dictates that, barring a spring meltdown, Jackson should make the team, but logistics turn that on its head. Now, 2025's surprise breakout player will have to turn heads yet again in Grapefruit League action if he's to have any hope of making his case for opening day.