Jackson Holliday is finally starting to look like the superstar that the Orioles expected him to be.
Brandon Hyde was not the problem for the Baltimore Orioles, but that does not mean he was a perfect manager.
His lineups, for example, had reason to be criticized, particularly with how Jackson Holliday had been handled. Now, without Hyde, Holliday is looking more like the superstar that the Orioles expected him to be.
For much of this season, Hyde treated Holliday as if he were one of the worst hitters on the team. Sure, it’s hard to blame him given how poorly the beginning of his career went, but this guy was considered the No. 1 prospect in baseball for a reason.
Now, Holliday is in the midst of the best stretch of his young career.
Jackson Holliday has been the one positive in a season full of Orioles negatives
Holliday has not only been the best player on the Orioles for a while now, but he’s been one of the best second basemen in the league since April 23.
His .854 OPS since that date entering Sunday’s action ranked second among all qualified second basemen, and after going 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk on Sunday, Holliday’s numbers only look better.
Holliday is obviously to blame for the slow start to his career, but Hyde could have shown faith in the young infielder earlier than he did.
Holliday didn’t hit higher than seventh in the order in any of the team’s first 24 games. He didn’t hit higher than sixth in the order until he had completed 30 games this season. He didn’t lead off until last week. Holliday has been the team’s best hitter in a struggling lineup for almost a month now, but Hyde never showed much urgency to bump him up.
Now, in a very important spot, Holliday is playing as well as he ever has.
The sample is small, and Holliday still isn’t hitting high up in the order against left-handed pitching, but he now has a five-game hitting streak and has put together three straight multi-hit performances.
The Orioles are struggling, but Holliday is looking more and more like he belongs. As he continues to produce at the top of the order, Holliday should only continue to thrive for Baltimore.
