The first two months of the Baltimore Orioles’ season have been nothing short of a disaster. It’s starting to look like a long year ahead, with the team still searching for its identity after firing manager Brandon Hyde, and more changes could be coming if things don’t turn around.
The lineup, once billed as one of the youngest and most explosive in baseball, has mostly disappointed. As for the pitching? It’s been about as bad as expected—struggling across the board.
However, one young star came in clutch and showed why he is an emerging player in the American League.
Jackson Holliday Exceeds Expectations Amid Orioles’ Struggles
Last season, former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday entered the league with sky-high hype as baseball’s top prospect, but he didn’t live up to it right away. Brewers fans chanted “overrated” at him when he stepped to the plate. Those chants didn’t last long.
Holliday knocked a key single and Adley Rutschman crushed a three-run homer in the 11th inning to lift the Orioles over the Brewers 8-4 on Wednesday, May 21.
“Overrated” chants break out in Milwaukee for Jackson Holliday who then proceeds to hit an RBI single! #Birdland pic.twitter.com/UEYKjYiNVA
— Orioles magic (@OriolesMagic23)
Holliday had a rough rookie campaign, but now there’s been a real shift — one that could signal the rise of a future cornerstone for Baltimore. And what sparked it? Some classic dad advice.
Fastballs were Holliday’s biggest problem last year. In just 60 games in 2024, he posted a -2.7 wFA (fastball runs above average), per FanGraphs. Pitchers knew if they could get a fastball by him, they controlled the at-bat.
Before this season, it was obvious Holliday still wasn’t fully comfortable handling big-league heat. So his dad, seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, stepped in. Matt, who’s also a hitting coach for Team USA in the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic, noticed something in Jackson’s swing.
He saw that his son was slow getting into the zone, which left him behind on fastballs. The fix was a more vertical hand position, similar to the change Cedric Mullins made after last year’s All-Star break.
The numbers tell the story. Holliday has boosted his wFA to 1.7 in 2025, a huge jump from last year’s number.
Jackson Holliday is always making adjustments after talks with #Orioles coaches as well as his dad Matt.
Matt suggested Jackson should maybe return to holding his hands more vertically in his stance.
The results: .407 average (11-for-27) over his past 10 games.
Story below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6H01APXSmi
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill)
Holliday’s impact in the batter’s box has entirely changed, and it seems like the higher hand position has finally allowed him to catch up to those fastballs that caused him problems last season.
Any hit is a win for Holliday, especially in light of his 2024 difficulties. A shift in strategy was required for a player who was anticipated to be the O’s lineup’s eventual leadoff hitter.