The 2026 MLB season may see Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday take a big step forward.
Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday has yet to live up to his lofty expectations after getting selected first overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. While Holliday has displayed signs of serious potential, he hasn't put it all together at the big league level yet. With that being said, there is reason to believe that Holliday will finally take the step forward in 2026 that the O's have been waiting for.
Holliday unquestionably struggled through the 60 games he appeared in during his first big league season in 2024. He hit .189 with a .565 OPS. He clearly needed to develop more before playing in MLB.
In 2025, Holliday looked more like a legitimate big league ball player, but he still was far from reaching a superstar level. He ultimately slashed .242/.314/.375 across 149 games played. Holliday added 17 home runs, 21 doubles and 17 stolen bases.
The underlying numbers tell the full story, though, and suggest a breakout is right around the corner.
Jackson Holliday on Verge of Breaking Out
Holliday saw his strikeout rate drop from 33.2 percent in 2024 to 21.6 percent in 2025. He also drew walks at a more consistent rate, getting on base via the free pass 8.6 percent of the time in 2025 compared to 7.2 percent in 2024.
While he surprisingly saw a drop in his hard-hit rate in 2025, Holliday hit more line drives. He also saw a decrease in his ground ball rate.
If Holliday can hit the ball hard on a more consistent basis, many of those line drives will turn into extra-base hits as opposed to singles or outs. It will also lead to more home runs potentially, as Holliday will likely be squaring up the baseball on a more consistent basis if he begins hitting the ball harder.
With his plate discipline clearly improving, all Holliday needs to do now is grow into his ability at the plate as a potential power threat. Every other part of his game is seemingly trending in the right direction.
The tools and potential are present for Holliday to take the next step forward in his game. Nothing is guaranteed, but hitting in a deep Orioles' lineup -- which now features Pete Alonso -- will only help matters. The upcoming 2026 campaign could be a memorable one for Jackson Holliday as he looks to officially break out at the MLB level with the Orioles.