The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Jackson Holiday

Jackson holiday is a name you won't soon forget he's young but he's got the Poise of a seasoned Pro quiet yet impossible to ignore this kid is shaking up the baseball world like a force of nature drafted as the number one overall pick in 2022 the first pick of the 20202 MLB draft the Baltimore Oriol select holiday holiday's Journey from high school Phenom to the big leagues was nothing short of meteoric in less than 2 years he found himself starting the 2024 season with triple Norfolk then the Orioles called him up to the majors only to send him back down soon after now he's back again and let me tell you he's on fire this is the story of Jackson holiday his rise fall and spectacular comeback but before we dive in don't forget to hit that subscribe button we're on the mission to hit 10,000 subs and your support is what keeps us going now let's get into it in the fall of 2021 Jackson holiday was just another High School senior a potential first round pick at best fast forward to May 2023 and he had everyone's saying oh my God he's the best Prospect in baseball his rapid rise was nothing short of extraordinary a true Testament to his natural talent and his uncanny understanding of the game with hand eye coordination that's off the charts Jackson has a knack for making contact even when he's caught off guard by a pitch but how did this all start Jackson's Journey began in the most routine way possible his childhood was steeped in baseball every day hours before the first pitch he would arrive at the stadium with his father while his dad got down to pregame work young Jackson would Dart off looking for someone to pester to Jackson the rocky Clubhouse was like an endless playground and its 24 players were his uncles a tap on the shoulder was all it took for him to find a playmate from those early days it was clear Jackson holiday was destined for greatness now growing up with a seven time allar for a father is a dream for any aspiring big leaker the jeans the opportunities the training it's a serious Advantage but Jackson holiday stands out for more than just his pedigree those who know him best says he's different not just because of his relentless work ethic but because of his cool confidence that never spills over into arrogance he's the kind of guy who stays humble even when he's the center of attention and make no mistake he's definitely the center of attention at just 19 Holiday became the number one Prospect in baseball and by the time he turned 20 he was already hitting 326 with a jaw dropping 998 on base plus slugging percentage catcher James mccan once said he looks 12 in the face and acts like a 40-year-old veteran and that pretty much sums it up despite being so young holiday has been a force to be reckoned with at every level since turning pro last season he tore through four levels in the minor leagues slashing 323 442 and 499 as a 19-year-old now it was a shock when holiday didn't make the Orioles opening day roster after a scorching spring training but he wasted no time showing them what they were missing in his first at bat of the year with AAA Norfolk he launched a home run and over nine games he racked up 14 hits including two home runs and five doubles all while walking 12 times and posting a one 1.77 Ops holiday was a key player in the tides explosive offense which scored 102 runs in the first 10 games and while he already had few weaknesses holiday spent the offseason pushing himself even further packing on 10 lbs of muscle through an intense training regimen now while he may not match the pure power of his dad Matt holiday who crushed 316 career homers Jackson's Newfound strength paid off when he was called up to the majors April 10th 2024 was a day to remember for holiday in the Orioles on that day holiday's Dream came true as he's promoted to the major leagues for the very first time he was handed the iconic number 7 jersey a number with a story past in Orioles history this was the same number as father Matt holiday wore during his Seasons with the St Louis Cardinals and the Rockies but for the Orioles number seven had been absent from the field since 1992 when it was last sworn by former manager Cal Ripken senior the Ripken family a legendary name in orio's lore gave their nod of approval for holiday to wear the number Billy Ripken another Ripken family member had last worn number seven for the Orioles back in 1988 that night Jackson holiday stepped onto the field as a second baseman against the Red Sox though he went 0 for four with an RBI the moment was anything but ordinary Jackson holiday's debut didn't exactly start with a bang over his first five games he managed just one hit in 15 at bats he struck out nine times and didn't draw a single walk in Boston his defense was shaky with multiple fly balls slipping past P him yet amidst the rough Patches he showed Glimpse as a promise like a slick sliding stop against the Red Sox that prevented a hit despite these moments of struggle the decision to call up holiday might have seemed a bit Hasty Baltimore's farm system is stacked with talent and there were other players who could have stepped in while holiday gained more experience take hon kirad for example in just 15 games with AAA Norfolk this year kirad has blasted seven home runs and driven in 27 RBI his 361 batting average 770 slugging percentage and one .208 Ops are nothing short of spectacular on top of that kurab brings MLB experience having made his debut in 2023 and already hitting two major league home runs with three rbii the decision to call up Jackson holiday made sense from a roster standpoint as a short stop in second basement he filled the void left with the Orioles release Tony Kemp however the team's outfielders have been underperforming this season adding to the pressure unfortunately holiday's performance didn't meet expectations with just two hits and 34 at bats trans leading to a 059 batting average over 10 games the Orioles faced a tough choice on April 26th they demoted holiday back to Norfolk in response Ryan McKenna was brought up to fill the Gap and David Banuelos was designated for assignment it was a tough break for holiday but the Orioles are clearly making moves to shake things up and improve the roster's performance so what went wrong for Jackson Holiday from the moment he stepped into the major leagues he struggled to find his rhythm with just two hits and 34 app bats and no extra base hits to his name his performance fell short of expectations in over 10 games holiday struck out more than twice in seven of them and he didn't escape a single game without at least one strikeout holiday often appeared overwhelmed by Major League pitching half of his swings resulted in misses twice the leag average in fact he struck out in exactly half of his 36 plate appearances for Baltimore a stark contrast to his minor league rate of 19% his troubles were especially evident when he chased pitches outside the strike zone while his Chase rate was typical for MLB hitters his contact rate on those swings was just 27.2% far below the league average of 57.9% holiday also showed a more passive approach of the plate swinging 7.8% less frequently than average hitters and 11.7% less often a pitches inside the strike zone as holiday grappled with these challenges other young Orioles like gunar Henderson the reigning Rookie of the Year and Jordan Westberg shown brightly adley Rutman emerged as one of the League's top catchers while Colton cower and hon Kiran showed impressive potential with Baltimore in pursuit of another AL East title it made sense for the Orioles to give holiday some extra time to develop it wasn't surprising to see them off for seasoning their top prospect rather than rushing him through the majors back in Norfolk Jackson holiday started to find his stride again but just as things seem to be looking up disaster struck on June 14th the Orioles placed him on the injured list with right elbow inflammation after the highs of a stellar 2023 season the constant roller coaster of setbacks and comebacks took a mental toll on him holiday spent nearly two weeks on the sidelines but when he returned to action with the tides against Charlotte he was ready to make an impact over 63 games with the tides holiday posted a solid 259 batting average 421 on base percentage 455 slugging line with 20 doubles eight home runs and 29 RBI the Orioles called him back up on July 31st and that day holiday hit his first major league home run a moments he'll never forget despite his earlier struggles the 20-year-old proved he wasn't phased by the pressure when jackon holiday connected with that pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays he knew he had just made history his first major league home run was nothing short of spectacular a grand slam that would Edge his name in the record books in the fifth inning of Baltimore's 10-4 victory over Toronto at Camden Yards holiday launched a stack cast projected 439 ft bomb he crushed an o0 and2 slider from Blue Jay's right-hander Yuri Rodriguez sending the ball off his Bat at a blistering 109.2 mph the ball soared over the right field flag court and landed on Utah Street marking holiday's place in Orioles lore at just 20 years and 240 days old holiday became the youngest player in franchise history to hit a grand slam this colossal blast was the seventh home run of the season to reach Utah Street and the fifth by an Orioles player out of the 129 home runs that have made it to Utah Street only two have been a player's first career Homer with holiday joining Robbie Gman of the Astros who hit his first career home run there exactly 11 years earlier on July 31st 2013 this home run also made him the third player in Orioles history to achieve this feat with his first big league blast Frank Baker and Fritz Connelly were the only other Orioles to have done it back in 1973 and 1985 respectively holiday also ranks as the eighth youngest player in Al NL history to hit a grand slam for his first career Homer as if the night couldn't get any better holiday was DED with a cooler a Gatorade by cower and Henderson after the game marking a memorable return to the majors and a celebration fit for historic achievement now Jackson holiday's return to the majors has been nothing short of electrifying despite his insistence that he's not trying to hit home runs he's certainly been finding them with impressive regularity just recently holiday made history as the youngest player in American League history to hit a home run in three consecutive games his latest blast a towering 424 ft shot in the seventh inning gave the Orioles the lead for good in their 7 to3 victory over the Blue Jays this home run marked the Orioles first comeback for a deficit in the sixth inning or later since their May 25th win against the white socks since rejoining the Orioles on July 31st holiday has seized his second chance with flair he's hitting 391 with four home runs and just 23 at bats including three that have sailed over 400 ft the 6' 185lb rookie proudly declared that his 109 mph Homer was the hardest ball he's ever hit and he's nearly matched that with a 107.2 mph Blast for a go-ahead run Jackson holiday is back and he's making waves in the MLB with his explosive performances what are your thoughts on holidays comeback drop a comment below and let us know if you enjoy the video give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel to help us reach 10,000 subscribers thanks for watching and stay tuned for more exciting updates