Orioles Demote Top Prospect Jackson Holliday Amid Slump

The Baltimore Orioles have demoted struggling prospect Jackson Holliday to Triple A after 10 games in the major leagues, the team announced Friday.

Holliday, the consensus top prospect in the game, has struggled mightily at the plate since making his big league debut on April 10. He picked up just two hits in 36 plate appearances and struck out 18 times with just two walks.

The 20-year-old middle infielder was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB draft. He is the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday.

Holliday began this season at Triple A Norfolk after the Orioles said he needed to work on his defense. (He had played primarily as a shortstop in the minors but was expected to play second base in the majors with Gunnar Henderson entrenched at short.) He batted .333 with seven extra-base hits in 10 games before being called up.

Scouts have never doubted his ability to hit—he boasts a .949 OPS in 155 career games in the minors—but he found himself mired in a terrible slump after being promoted. The Orioles benched the left-handed hitting Holliday for two games this week against lefty starters, with veteran Jorge Mateo taking his spot in the lineup on both occasions.

Baltimore called up outfielder Ryan McKenna to take Holliday’s spot on the roster. The 27-year-old played 282 games for the Orioles over the previous three seasons.