The Baltimore Orioles are looking to contend once again in 2026, and they have already taken major steps to strengthen their roster externally. The front office pulled off a notable trade for outfielder Taylor Ward and made a splash in free agency by signing first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract.
Those moves give Baltimore proven power and depth in the lineup, but the path back to the postseason will also require internal growth. One of the most important pieces in that regard is young infielder Jackson Holliday.
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Holliday, once regarded as the top prospect in all of baseball, completed his second season in 2025, which was also his first full campaign at the big-league level. The 22-year-old showed flashes of his talent but struggled to find consistency. He finished the year with a .242 batting average, a .314 on-base percentage and a .690 OPS. Holliday added 17 home runs, 17 stolen bases and 55 RBIs across 149 games, numbers that reflect both his potential impact and the areas where improvement is needed.
Baseball Reference projects Holliday for modest gains in 2026, with a .244 batting average, a .316 on-base percentage and a .707 OPS, along with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs. These numbers appear realistic given how he fell off after the All-Star break last season, managing just five home runs in his final 61 games.
The projection suggests slight improvement but also highlights the challenge of sustaining production over a full campaign. Whether Holliday can surpass those marks will depend on his ability to adjust to big-league pitching and maintain a consistent approach at the plate.
It is worth noting that Holliday was the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school, and this past season marked the first time he has truly struggled at any level. That context underscores both the growing pains of a young player and the potential for him to rebound as he gains experience.
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For the Orioles, Holliday’s development is critical. His ability to slug for more power and cut down on strikeouts will determine whether he can become the reliable infielder the team envisioned when they selected him first overall. Baltimore has invested heavily in its young core, and Holliday is expected to be a focal point alongside Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.
If he can take a step forward offensively while continuing to refine his defense, the Orioles will have a homegrown player capable of complementing their new veteran additions and pushing the team closer to a deep postseason run.
