Wednesday marked the start of the Jackson Holliday era in Baltimore.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect made his highly anticipated Major League debut in the Orioles’ 7-5 comeback win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Although the the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft ultimately went 0-for-4, it was a memorable night that led to a major career first.
Here’s how Holliday fared in his MLB debut, on defense and at the plate, from start to finish.
Defensive debut
Before he first stepped to the plate, Holliday started a 4-6-3 double play to end the second inning. He scooped up a soft ground ball from Boston’s Masataka Yoshida and flipped to Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who threw to first for the double play.
Holliday takes first AB
Holliday’s first at-bat of his Major League career came in the third inning against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. After hearing his name announced on the PA system, Holliday received an ovation from the Orioles fans in attendance at Fenway Park. The Orioles second baseman went down swinging on a high sweeper after working the count to 2-2. Teammate Colton Cowser managed to steal second as Holliday swung and missed for strike three.
Holliday can’t corral popup
From his second-base spot, Holliday ventured well into right-center field in an attempt to catch a popup off the bat of Boston’s Tyler O’Neill. But the rookie couldn’t make what would have been a tough over-the-shoulder grab on what was ruled a single, and his throw to the plate was too late to keep Jarren Duran from coming around to score the game’s first run.
Showing off the wheels
Holliday came up for the second time in the fifth inning after teammate Jordan Westburg was hit by a 3-0 pitch to lead off the frame. After watching a first-pitch knuckle curve in the dirt, Holliday bounced a ground ball to second base. Westburg was retired on a flip to the bag, but Holliday got down the line at a near-elite 29.9 feet per second sprint speed to beat out a potential double play. (An elite sprint speed is 30 ft/sec or higher.)
Holliday drives in first run
Holliday did his job when he came to the plate in the sixth inning in a big spot, collecting the first RBI of his young career. The rookie stepped up with two men in scoring position and nobody out in the sixth after four straight Orioles hits. Holliday chopped an 0-1 pitch to the right side of the infield to bring home a run, notch his first RBI and cut into the Red Sox lead.
Second K for Holliday
Holliday’s fourth at-bat came with two outs in the seventh inning, immediately after Jordan Westburg cracked a clutch three-run homer to put the Orioles ahead, 7-5. The newest Oriole battled to work the count full after falling behind 0-2 but was unable to check his swing on a cutter from Red Sox pitcher Chris Martin.