Thoughts on Jackson Holiday Situation from Around the League
On April 26th, baseball’s top prospect Jackson Holiday was sent down to the minors after getting off to the worst statistical start in Major League Baseball’s history; going two for 34 with a slash of .059/.111/.059, and striking out in almost every game he played. Striking out a lot isn’t necessarily an indicator of a bad player, as all-time great Reggie Jackson struck out more times in his career than anyone else, but the 20-year-old Holiday didn’t provide much at the plate during the 16-day span he was with the Baltimore Orioles. We’ve seen bad starts from many all-time greats, including Willie Mays who went 1-26 in his first 26 at-bats and wanted to quit, Ken Griffey Jr, who went 1-18, and Mickey Mantle, whose famous slump got him sent down at 18 years old. Of course, Holiday must do a lot to get himself in the same category as these legends. He faced unreal pressure upon making his MLB debut, as many not only compared him to his dad, seven-time All-Star and former ALCS MVP Matt Holiday but expected him to perform as well as he did with Triple-A Norfolk, where he put up a slash of .333/.482/.595 before getting called up to the Majors.
Since Holiday was sent down, some voices in the baseball world have given their takes on his situation. His father appeared on the Hot Take Central podcast to give his take. “If your mechanics aren’t tight and you’re facing some of the best pitchers in the league, it can get sideways in a hurry,” he said. “Everyone who’s played baseball struggles, it’s like people say; in baseball, there’s those that are humble and those that are about to be.”The senior Holiday was optimistic about his future, saying that he’s been dealing with the slump very well and that he’s proud of him. Orioles’ legend Jim Palmer weighed in on the situation on MLB analyst Ryan Ripken’s podcast. He likened Holiday’s situation to that of Mays, Cal Ripken Jr., Nick Markakis, and George Brett. “My eyes tell me he’s having trouble with the high fastball.” He said, “It’s going to be a nice test to see how Jackson plays from here on out and if he can relax.”
Orioles first baseman Ryan O’hearn has shared his thoughts on Ripken’s podcast as well. “The Triple-A to big league gap has never been greater. This poor guy had 100 cameras in his face at all times, people screamed at him 24/7. He’s 20 years old, can we let him breathe a little bit?” O’hearn was keen on the idea that Holiday faced unreal standards and pressure and that he felt it was unfair towards him. This has been a common theme spoken about when the topic is discussed. Holiday returned to Triple-A Norfolk on May 1st, and collected three hits. He hasn’t been as sharp in the few games he’s played since, but Holiday has a long future ahead of him. Nobody knows exactly what the future holds, but there is an awful lot to be excited about for the young prodigy’s career.
