Orioles' patience with Jackson Holliday paying huge dividends

When the Orioles sent top prospect Jackson Holliday to Triple-A to start the year, fans were disappointed with the decision. Holliday had crushed minor league pitching to that point and all signs pointed toward him being ready to perform in Baltimore.

It didn't take long for the O's to call him up though, as the 20 year old came up and made his debut on April 10. Holliday hit poorly in his first taste of the big leagues, however, and the O's chose to send him back to Norfolk to get himself back into a groove.

While many fans would have liked to see him return to Baltimore sooner than he did, it appears that the Orioles patience with MLB's number 1 overall prospect is paying off. Since his return to the majors on July 31, Holliday has 7 hits in 18 at-bats and he's absolutely scorching the ball when he makes contact.

On Sunday, Holliday bashed his second home run of the week, this one being a solo shot after putting a grand slam onto Eutaw Street last Wednesday. The grand slam was crushed too, with Statcast estimating the blast at 439ft.

During his initial call-up, Holliday had a couple hard hit balls but he wasn't doing it consistently. This week has been a stark difference, with 11 of his 13 balls in play coming off the bat at more than 97 mph, including 8 of those over 100 mph.

Jackson Holliday proving his status as Orioles' top prospect

That hard contact suggests he isn't just getting lucky - he's been putting the barrel on the ball more frequently, certainly stemming from him being more comfortable at the plate. He's also shown a bit more plate discipline, striking out just 4 times since coming back to Baltimore.

Along with hitting the ball hard, Holliday's patience at the plate will be a major factor in his future success. In his initial stint in the majors, he looked rushed. He was swinging at everything and struggling to make contact.

He's looked much better over the past week. The swing looks more controlled and the results suggest that the changes are real.

There's still a long way to go in the 2024 season. The Orioles find themselves tied with the Yankees atop the AL East and the absence of Jordan Westburg over the next two months will be noticeable. However, if Holliday is able to come into his own during August and September, it'll go a long way toward pushing the Orioles over the top.