The Baltimore Orioles have a bevy of young, homegrown players that they hope reach the heights of shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who earned AL Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Second baseman Jeremiah Jackson has more to prove before he reaches that level, but he's on the right track.

While the 26-year-old isn't homegrown, he could become a key piece for the Orioles long-term if he maintains his current momentum. He currently leads the squad with a .295 batting average and 19 RBIs and is second with five homers and 23 hits.

The Los Angeles Angels drafted Jackson No. 57 overall in 2018 before trading him to the New York Mets in August 2023. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder then signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore in November 2024, which promoted him for the first time in July. He finished last season slashing .276/.328/.447 with five homers and 21 RBIs over 48 games.

Although Jackson was productive in limited action last year, he would normally back up fellow second baseman and former top MLB prospect Jackson Holliday. The Orioles drafted the Oklahoma native No. 1 overall in 2022, so they're more invested in him.

However, Holliday has yet to play this season as he rehabs from his offseason hamate (wrist) surgery. The 22-year-old exited his Triple-A rehab game with hand discomfort on Tuesday and was set to get an MRI, per MLB.com.

With Holliday possibly out for several more weeks and Jackson red-hot, Baltimore has something to think about when Holliday does return.

Although Holliday was a superstar prospect and was drafted to be a core piece long-term, that's not enough to earn him playing time over Jackson when he returns. Although Holliday has more big-league experience, he logged just a .690 OPS with 17 homers and 55 RBIs over 149 games last season.

Baltimore must grapple with the possibility that Jackson's career could turn out better than Holliday's. It's still early for both players, but the latter player has shown nothing to prove that he's better at the top level.

If Jackson entrenches himself as a long-term piece, he could share the middle of the infield with Henderson for years to come. He would also be one of the most cost-effective players in baseball if he keeps his current pace, as he's making just $788,700 this season and has two more pre-arbitration years left, per Spotrac.