Orioles' emerging young star looking to end season on high note

A young Baltimore Orioles positional player is finding his stride at the plate and creating some real positive momentum.

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles' priorities for the 2025 season changed drastically over the summer from where they were in the preseason.

Originally, they were viewed as a playoff contender in the American League based on the potential of their lineup. If things went well at the plate, all it would take was a little bit of pitching to push the team toward being a true contender. Alas, nothing has gone according to plan this year with the Orioles being arguably the most disappointing team in baseball.

However, the campaign has not been a total loss. There have been a few bright spots this year despite the overall production being so underwhelming. One of the standout performers has been second baseman Jackson Holliday.

Jackson Holliday had brutal start to MLB career

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The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft rapidly moved through the minor league system and made his Big League debut on April 10, 2024, not even two years after being selected. His rookie campaign ended up being a complete disaster, with some high-ups within the organization expressing regret over how things were handled with the former No. 1-ranked prospect in the game.

Read More: Baltimore Orioles GM admits regret over Jackson Holliday promotion

However, Holliday has made some major strides with his on-field performance this year. His production is up across the board, and he looks a lot more confident in his abilities at the plate. After producing a slash line of .189/.255/.311 in 2024, he has upped those numbers to .253/.323/.394 in 2025.

He is showcasing a solid combination of power and speed as well. Holliday has hit 17 home runs, 20 doubles and three triples thus far with 17 stolen bases. If he can become more efficient on the basepaths, being caught stealing an MLB-high 11 times so far, his legs will become that much more of a weapon.

Jackson Holliday is one fire for Orioles

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Still only 21 years old, Holliday is just scratching the surface of his potential. He has caught fire over his last 15 games, putting up some eye-popping numbers.

As shared by MLB Stats on X, Holliday has reached base in 15 consecutive games. He has a .364/.485/.564 slash line with six extra-base hits (including two home runs) and nine runs scored; the young infielder recorded at least one hit in 14 out of those 15 games, all while exhibiting improved recognition of the strike zone.

Jackson Holliday has reached base safely in 15 straight games!

In that span, Holliday is slashing .364/.485/.564 (20-for-55) with 6 XBH (2 HR) and 9 runs scored 😤 pic.twitter.com/QcP1YYdR9W

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) September 15, 2025

During those 15 games, he has drawn 13 walks and struck out only 10 times across 68 plate appearances. That sample size is small, but it really hammers home the improvements he has shown in that area. Holliday is working the zone much better than he did as a rookie, slashing his strikeout rate from 33.2% to 21.5%. His walk rate has improved from 7.2% to 8.4% as well.

It is certainly disappointing for Holliday and Baltimore that there won’t be any postseason games played this year. But if he can continue playing at a high level, building some positive momentum into the offseason to be carried into 2026, it won’t be long until the Orioles are back in the postseason.