Sep 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) hits an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Orioles' Jackson Holliday having breakout season is encouraging sign for the future

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 10:00 AM ET

After a loss on Thursday, the Baltimore Orioles will officially be unable to be over the .500 mark this season, capping off what has been a disappointing campaign. A slow start to the season crippled the Orioles’ chances of making the playoffs for the third straight year, but there has been some reason to be optimistic going into 2026.

Despite the struggles and the disappointments in 2025, Baltimore appears to be a team that is going to be capable of turning it around quickly in the American League next year. Injuries played a significant part in the struggles early on, especially in the starting rotation.

However, as that unit got healthier, they started to perform much better. Furthermore, another reason why the team got off to a slow start was that the young core of their lineup didn’t quite live up to expectations early on. This was a unit that was considered to be one of the best offenses in the league, but many players started the year poorly. Fortunately, this campaign has seen the rise of a potential new star for the franchise.

Jackson Holliday’s Development is Encouraging

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the breakout stars from each position this year. At second base, it was Jackson Holliday who got the nod as the breakout star for the Orioles.

While all eyes on the lineup have been on Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman the last few seasons, the arrival of Holliday last year was very exciting. The son of former All-Star Matt Holliday was the first overall pick in 2022, and his potential is through the roof.

The young infielder got a chance in 2024 to impress but struggled immensely in his few stints in the majors. At just 20 years old at the time, hitting the ground running and becoming a star right away might not have been realistic.

However, despite his poor rookie campaign, he learned and got better for the opportunity in 2025. With a clear role and a starting spot to begin the season, Holliday really took a nice step forward this year.

So far, he has slashed .250/.321/.390 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 142 games played so far. As the leadoff hitter for the team, Holliday has flashed the early potential to be a 20/20 player in the near future.

While the 2025 campaign might be seen as a failure for Baltimore, the development of their young star is an encouraging sign. At just 21 years old, the sky is the limit for Holliday, and he is going to be a key member of the franchise in 2026.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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