Jackson Holliday is has already surpassed his 2024 WAR by a wide margin in two less games.

As that statistic might suggest, Holliday got off to a woeful start in his rookie season, a topic that was frequently discussed around the Baltimore area. Did the Orioles bring Holliday up too soon?

Sure, a second stint in the minor leagues did him some good, but it’s tough to argue against Jackson’s inclusion on the roster that fateful April 10 against the Boston Red Sox.

Holliday started at second base, went 0-for-4 and had an RBI, the first of his big-league career.

However, Jackson also struck out two times, and three times the next game. In fact, he was sent down to Norfolk after just 10 games, hitting .059 in the process.

It just goes to show that every prospect’s journey to regular MLB playing time is different. Holliday learned that the hard way, as did Roman Anthony on Monday night at Fenway.

Anthony’s Sox faced off against the Rays, and the 21-year-old went 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Unlike Holliday, Anthony only struck out once, but he is two years older than Holliday was when making his big-league debut. Anthony ought to be the more-polished prospect as a result, but there are bound to be some struggles along the way.

Roman Anthony and Jackson Holliday made the same debut mistakes

For example, Anthony made an early mistake in his debut, committing an error in right field. Anthony projects more as a left fielder in MLB, but the Red Sox haven’t yet had the time to fine tune a defensive alignment with the 21-year-old.

“Just can’t happen,” Anthony said. “… I’ve dealt with that skip a million times in my career. And it’s tough to get in a game like that. You feel like that’s the reason why we lost, little things like that.”

Anthony was hard on himself regarding the error, which shows his head is in the right place. Yet, it sounds awfully familiar to Holliday – the son of a former MLB All-Star and a No. 1 overall pick – who frequently said all the right things during his initial 10-game cameo in the bigs last season.

It can take time for even the most talented players to adjust every facet of their game to the big leagues, especially when they’re playing out of position.

Holliday was asked to play second base despite projecting as an MLB shortstop. He even played some shortstop in spring training when teammate Gunnar Henderson went down with an injury. Now, Anthony is asked to play right field in Boston, which is a unique dilemma in its own right given the short wall and shallow outfield.

The Red Sox are playing a dangerous game, but the smart money is on Anthony finding his footing sooner rather than later.