Jackson Holliday on meteoric rise: 'Honestly more than I could have imagined'

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ABERDEEN, Md. -- At this time last year, Jackson Holliday wasn’t yet a professional baseball player. That changed July 17, 2022, when he was selected by the Orioles with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

As the one-year anniversary of Holliday’s life-changing day approaches, I caught up with the 19-year-old shortstop during a recent visit to Ripken Stadium, where Holliday hit a two-run walk-off home run to lift High-A Aberdeen to a win over Winston-Salem on Friday night.

MLB.com: You’re nearly one year into your professional baseball career. Has it been everything you expected it to be?

Holliday: It’s honestly more than I could have imagined. It’s been really, really neat to be able to go to big league Spring Training, and then be able to play pretty well this season and be around a lot of great guys that I got drafted with last year and be able to spend so much time with them and play with them. It’s been overwhelmingly good. It’s been pretty awesome.

MLB.com: On April 24, you were promoted from Single-A Delmarva (where you slashed .396/.522/.660 in 14 games this year) to High-A Aberdeen (where you’re slashing .299/.440/.497 through 52 games). What’s been the biggest difference you’ve noticed at the new level?

Holliday: The quality of pitches is definitely different. Guys will be able to throw their curveball in any count. And just the quality of stuff is a little bit better, being able to pitch a little bit differently. It’s more of, I’d say, top-end college guys vs. some top-end high school guys would probably be the way that I can explain it. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a good little challenge, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

MLB.com: Quite a few top hitting prospects have endured prolonged slumps after they’ve arrived in Aberdeen. How did you avoid it?

Holliday: The first two games, I think I went 0-for-7. So I think I gave the whole thought of, ‘Everyone struggles down here,’ a little bit too much credit. Just going back to my game and looking for fastballs that I can drive and just playing has definitely helped me out, and not thinking about the guys that have struggled, even though they’re great players and most of them are in the big leagues right now.

MLB.com: You said during Spring Training you hoped to reach Double-A Bowie this year. You have to feel that’s attainable now, right?

Holliday: Yeah, absolutely. I think that goal is definitely in reach, and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of trying to be able to accomplish it. Just trying to take it day by day, and I trust the organization that they’ll put me in the right spot. That’s still my goal, and I’m looking forward to hopefully the day that I get to go up there and play.

MLB.com: You played third base for the first time as a pro last Sunday at Wilmington. How did that come about, and what was it like playing there?

Holliday: I think it’s just to make sure guys get their innings at second and short. Just being able to have that versatility is definitely important, because the goal is to play in the big leagues, and if they want you to play third or second or short, I’ll be able to do that. I like playing different positions, and it was pretty fun.

MLB.com: How’s it feel to be MLB Pipeline’s new No. 1 overall prospect?

Holliday: It’s very cool. It’s quite an honor to think about. There are so many great players in the Minor Leagues, and some of them are even in the big leagues. It’s quite an honor to be the No. 1 player. Obviously, Gunnar [Henderson] and Adley [Rutschman] were the No. 1 players the years before, so that’s kind of cool. I like that part of it. Being able to carry on that tradition as the No. 1 prospect being with the Orioles is more important to me than honestly just being the No. 1 player. I enjoy being around those guys, and I look up to those guys, so it’s pretty cool to share that with them.

MLB.com: You’ll be playing in the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 8 at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, along with fellow Orioles prospect Heston Kjerstad. How excited are you?

Holliday: I’m really excited. It’s going to be really cool to be a part of. I’ve been to Seattle once or twice, so I’m looking forward to it. I texted Gunnar [Thursday] morning, because it [was] his birthday, and he texted me and told me congratulations and how much fun he had at that last year. So I’m looking forward to it, looking forward to seeing some of the guys that I know and being around Heston a little bit more. … I was excited to see that he’s also going. I think we’re going to live together during Spring Training next year. We’re pretty good buddies, and I’m excited for him. I know he’s had some injury stuff, so it’s really cool to see how much success he’s having and some of the opportunities that he’s getting.

MLB.com: Other than reaching Double-A, any other personal goals for the second half of the season?

Holliday: I would like to steal maybe like 20 more bases and get to 40 stolen bases, that’d be pretty cool. Just trying to improve in every aspect. Obviously, I want to hit some homers and hit doubles and triples. Maybe slug a little bit higher, do some more damage.

MLB.com: Your life is obviously revolving around baseball. What are you doing when you’re not at the ballpark these days?

Holliday: I play MLB The Show, and I watch more baseball. So baseball’s kind of the center of my life. But I go play pickleball every now and then. My dad’s a big pickleball player now, so I’ve been dabbling with that. I just enjoy being around a lot of these guys, and we go golfing on Mondays.

MLB.com: Have your dad [former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday] and family been up to see you play much?

Holliday: I think he’s came and visited about four times this season. My brother [Ethan] and the rest of my family have been here twice. It’s been good to have them back and forth, but they’re on the summer circuit now with Ethan. I’d like to think that [my dad’s] been very proud of how I’ve been playing, and he calls me and texts me after almost every game.

MLB.com: Last question -- how much are you enjoying being part of an Orioles organization that’s on the rise, from top to bottom?

Holliday: It’s really cool to be able to play our game and then check the scorebook and see how the Orioles did and see that they won again and Gunnar hit a homer and all these guys that are getting called up are doing great. It’s been really, really cool to be a part of this organization, especially right now. They’re doing so well, and all the guys in Triple-A are doing great and I got to spend a lot of time with them during Spring Training. It’s been pretty awesome. I remember my dad texted me after one day and he’s like, ‘How many of those guys are going to play in the big leagues?’ And I’m like, ‘I think all of them.’ They’re all so talented. It’s an unbelievably talented group of guys.