Nothing about Jackson Holliday‘s debut with the Baltimore Orioles went as planned. He’s back in Triple-A after 10 games with the team and a lowly .059 batting average in 34 at-bats.
Holliday seemed a shoe-in for the American League’s Rookie of the Year race before his call-up. Many are disappointed with his career start, inside and outside the Orioles’ fanbase.
Kerry Miller labeled his Rookie of the Year campaign to be one of MLB’s “biggest disasters” in a column for Bleacher Report.
“Holliday went just 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts before getting sent back down to Norfolk last week,” Miller wrote on May 2. “By no means are we declaring Holliday a bust, though. MLB history is littered with guys who got out to inauspicious early starts to their careers before going on to become stars, including three-time MVPs Mike Trout and Alex Rodriguez.”
Miller’s right in discouraging bust talk. The 20-year-old Holliday played less than two weeks in Triple-A before getting called up.
That was likely premature in hindsight, as was his odds at Rookie of the Year when he started out 2024 in the minors.
He slashed .311/.354/.600 for two home runs and six RBIs in 45 at-bats with the affiliate Norfolk Tides.
General manager Mike Elias talked about the too much, too soon nature of Jackson Holliday’s MLB debut with reporters on April 26.
Elias: ‘A Little Hiccup’
In talking with the media, Elias made sure to clear Holliday of any blame or credit for the disappointing debut.
“It’s nothing that Jackson did,” Elias said. “We were the ones that have been moving him along so quickly. It was a little hiccup, and I think it’s probably the first one he’s ever had. He’s ultimately going to be better off for it.”
And that he and the Orioles’ front office feel the 20-year-old will be better off because of it in the longterm.
“So I think the bright side is that he got very intense, very specific feedback from major league pitching,” Elias said. “He’s a brilliant talent and a very sharp kid. I expect he’s going to go implement those adjustments really quickly. But we felt that the Triple-A and steady playing time in Triple-A was the place for that.”
So, Holliday is back in the minors. But that doesn’t mean Baltimore can’t still be home to the eventual AL Rookie of the Year.
Colton Cowser Betting Favorite for AL ROY
According to VegasInsider, the Orioles are still home to the favorite for Rookie of the Year.
It’s first-round pick Colton Cowser, who’s the betting odds leader on all of BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
The second-year slugger is batting .277/.351/.929 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs.
Cowser was most recently named American League Rookie of the Month for his stellar April performance.
He talked to MASN prior to a May 3 game against the Cincinatti Reds about his approach to the 2024 season.
“I think, just staying ready,” Cowser said. “Carrying myself with a lot of confidence. Doing whatever I can to help the team win.”
Colton Cowser is the current favorite for Rookie of the Year, by a wide margin.
Texas Rangers centerfielder Evan Carter sits behind him with the second-best odds.
And a little further down the list sits Jackson Holliday, with the 14th best odds.
Never say never.
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