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MLB analyst puts pressure on this Orioles slugger to live up to expectations originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As a high school baseball player in Oklahoma, Jackson Holliday was quite popular. He was one of the best players in all of high school and was a top prospect for the 2022 draft class.
He committed to play college ball at the University of Oklahoma, but after getting selected first overall by the Baltimore Orioles, he would forego his commitment and go pro.
The young slugger would go on to fly through the minors. He would make his MLB debut on April 10, 2024, and while he has been exciting, some were hoping for a little bit more.
MORE: Orioles slide down the power rankings after a challenging week
MLB analyst puts pressure on this Orioles slugger to live up to expectations
Holliday got off to a slow start this season after he broke his hamate bone during spring training. This forced him to miss 48 games this season, but he's now back in the lineup.
Still, even without the injury, some feel he has not lived up to expectations. This includes Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, who tags him as the Orioles "most scrutinized" player.
"The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft and the unanimous No. 1 overall prospect heading into 2024...hasn't even remotely lived up to that hype yet. Holliday is just 22 years old and missed the first 48 games of the season while recovering from a broken hamate bone, so we're not exactly close to throwing in the towel yet. All the same, we're forever waiting for this promised star's proverbial light bulb to come on and stay on."
At this point, the front office would settle for average from the youngster. Now, he did start his season behind everyone else, but a .189 batting average and a -0.2 WAR is not going to cut it for a team that plays in the same division as the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.
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