The 'Jackson Three' hitting their stride just in time for stretch run

When expecting parents are pondering a name for the child they will soon welcome into the world, there are many elements to take into consideration.

Apparently, from 2002-04, one of them was the hope that their progeny would become a star baseball player who would reach the Major Leagues in 2024.

There have been 62 players in Major League history with the last name "Jackson." But it's not Jackson as a last name that has become such a hit in the big leagues in 2024, but Jackson as a first name.

Call them the "Jackson Three," if you like. But whatever you call them, Jackson Holliday, Jackson Merrill and Jackson Chourio have burst onto the Major League scene and, while they took different routes to get there, they’re now impacting the postseason races down the stretch.

These Jacksons have already made their mark in 2024 after each being ranked in the top 12 of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, and they could all conceivably find themselves making an impact this fall under the bright lights of the postseason. What makes that even more remarkable is that they are the three youngest players in the big leagues this season.

Here’s a look at how each Jackson reached this point, as well as other the potential for more Jacksons to be right behind them:

Jackson Holliday, 2B, Orioles
Holliday, MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect, made his highly anticipated big league debut with the Orioles on April 10. Things didn’t go according to plan for Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star slugger Matt Holliday -- he went 2-for-34 with no extra-base hits before being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

But after raking again at Triple-A, Jackson was back in the Majors at the end of July. This time, he has not only hit, but he has made history by becoming the youngest player in Orioles history to launch a grand slam (20 years, 240 days) and the youngest player in American League history to homer in three consecutive games (20 years, 247 days old). With another one Saturday, Holliday has four homers in his last six games and five since being recalled on July 31.

With Baltimore in a tight race with the Yankees atop the AL East, Holliday could play a major role as the regular season winds down. And given the Orioles’ position in the standings, there is a high probability that he’ll find himself playing in his first postseason this October.

Jackson Merrill, CF, Padres
Merrill had a strong first half for the Padres both at the plate and in center field after making his MLB debut on March 20 in South Korea, earning an All-Star selection in his rookie year. But since the All-Star break, he’s taken it to another level, particularly in the slugging department. Merrill entered play on Saturday hitting .373/.395/.716 with four homers in the second half, and then launched another on Saturday.

He’s been scorching in August, specifically -- his game-tying homer in the eighth inning of Saturday’s victory over the Marlins was his fourth long ball in eight games this month. Merrill has also had a penchant for coming up big in the clutch -- that game-tying shot on Saturday wasn’t his first clutch homer of the season; he’s hit five home runs this year in the eighth inning or later that either tied or won the game for San Diego.

Could we be seeing more of those types of heroics from Merrill this October? The way the Padres are playing right now, it’s certainly possible. San Diego has won 16 of its last 18 games to climb within 2 1/2 games of the Dodgers in the National League West. Much of that recent success has been fueled by the 21-year-old rookie.

Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers
The Brewers believe so much in Chourio that they signed him to an eight-year, $82 million contract before he ever played in a Major League game. That set a record for players with no MLB experience.

Chourio made his MLB debut on Opening Day and struggled out of the gate. By June 1, he had a .207/.251/.323 slash line, but since then, he’s posted an OPS over .900 with nine homers. He’s been red-hot since the All-Star break, entering Saturday with a .392/.423/.635 slash line with five home runs in the second half.

The Brewers are in a comfortable spot atop the NL Central. Chourio will be a key down the stretch and into October if Milwaukee wants to make a deep playoff run after being eliminated in the NL Wild Card or NL Division Series rounds in each of its last four postseason trips.

More Jacksons on the way?
We could soon be seeing more Jacksons in the big leagues, continuing the burgeoning trend. Take right-hander Jackson Jobe, the Tigers’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 11 prospect overall per MLB Pipeline. Following an early-season promotion to Double-A Erie, Jobe has pitched to a 2.27 ERA over 11 starts. We could see him as soon as next season in Detroit.

The name Jackson and baseball are becoming synonymous, and for good reason. We've already seen three young Jacksons who have promising careers ahead based on their production as rookies. And given the way they and their teams are trending, come October, they could etch their names into postseason lore.