Orioles make surprising decision on top prospect Jackson Holliday

Baltimore Orioles fans will have to wait longer to see their chosen one.

The Orioles announced on Friday that young phenom Jackson Holliday is being reassigned to minor league camp, meaning he won't be on the Opening Day roster to begin the 2024 season.

The news is a surprise since he is the No. 1 prospect in baseball and looked ready to contribute to the big-league roster. He hit .311 with a .954 OPS in spring training, racking up two homers, six RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases over 15 games.

It is possible that service-time considerations played a role in the Orioles’ decision to have Holliday begin the season in the minor leagues (though under MLB's CBA, Holliday could automatically earn a full year of service by finishing in the top two of Rookie of the Year voting.)

But the 20-year-old shortstop, the top overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, should get the call-up soon, especially given that he was already torching the minors.