Why Jackson Holliday Could Benefit from being sent down to AAA?

Jackson Holliday had one of the more highly anticipated debuts in recent memory for fans of Major League Baseball. The 20-year old left hander is the number one prospect in baseball and was called up on April 10th to play for the Baltimore Orioles. 

Holliday was the 2022 first overall pick in the draft who was quickly successful in the minors slashing .318 average, .448 OBP, and .942 OPS. Those numbers stood out a lot to the Orioles and MLB fans which led him to being called up. After two weeks in the majors he struggled to find his rhythm and show his talent that many know he has. In ten games, Holliday had 34 at-bats going 2-34 with an average of .059. He has been optioned to AAA where the organization hopes he can get some confidence and find his swing.

Time to worry?

The answer is no, Holliday is a 20-year-old kid who has plenty of time to find himself and gain his feet in the MLB. Getting used to the jump from AAA to the majors could be a big factor into if Holliday can be successful longterm in the MLB. The pitching talent seemed new to Holliday, as he struck out in exactly half of his plate appearances in the majors. Compared to 18.8% of the time while he was in the minors. Despite having an equal walk and strikeout percentage in the minors, he only walked twice in the majors with a 9:1 ratio of K’s and BB. When he figures out the speed at the highest level of the game, Holliday will prove to fans why he was the #1 prospect in baseball.

With that being said Jackson Holliday will become a great player in the MLB despite the early struggles. From being drafted as a teenager to being called up to the Majors is a big jump within 48 months. Triple-A Jackson will find his swing and he will learn a lot from his time in the Majors to apply that when he returns.