Baltimore Orioles Young Stud Predicted To Be 'Breakout Star' Next Season

The Baltimore Orioles top prospect will have another year to prove he has the tools to compete at the highest level.

Sep 19, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) drives in two runs on his fourth-inning double against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Despite the worries about the Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff after they dealt with a slew of injuries a year ago, when times got tough and things mattered most, it was the offense that failed this ball club.

The Orioles, again, couldn't get anything going in October; if they expect to win in the postseason moving forward, they have to find a way to manufacture a couple of runs.

One run in a two-game Wild Card Series will never cut it, even if Baltimore has the two best starters in baseball throwing in those games.

Offensively speaking, there were a few Orioles hitters who didn't produce at the level that many were expecting them to. That includes youngster Jackson Holliday, who finally got an opportunity to prove the type of player he is at the big league level.

That resulted in the Texas native slashing .189/.255/.311 with five home runs, four doubles, three triples, and a 66 OPS+. Add in the 69 strikeouts in 190 at-bats, and it was as ugly as it could get for Holliday.

The hope was for the game's top prospect to come to Baltimore and instantly make an impact. Unfortunately, and perhaps unfair to Holliday, that isn't something most young prospects can come in and do.

With another offseason and Spring Training under his belt, the recently turned 21-year-old will have an opportunity to show he's as good as advertised.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted that to happen, naming Holliday a "potential breakout star."

"Holliday didn't quite live up to the hype with which he entered last season. His first audition was an unmitigated disaster, and even his "better" performance after he returned from the minors on July 31 only saw him hit .218. Holliday's profile nonetheless maintains that too-good-to-be true feeling. Surely, a 21-year-old son of a former MLB star and an erstwhile No. 1 prospect in his own right will find his stride in the majors eventually. If the Orioles have their way, it'll be this year."

As Rymer touched on, Holliday has done way too much good throughout his baseball career, dating back to his amateur high school days, suggesting he'll eventually find success at the highest level.

Prior success in the minors and high school isn't the perfect indication of how a player will look moving forward, but he was as sure of a prospect as the game has ever seen offensively.

It's far too early to press the panic button, even if he comes out the gate struggling in the 2025 campaign.