Jackson Holliday

Jackson Holliday's Biography

Born on December 4, 2003, Jackson Matthew Holliday is an accomplished American infielder on the celebrated Major League Baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles. The youngest in a lineage of remarkable baseball talents, Holliday is the son of Matt Holliday, a former MLB All-Star.

Hailing from Stillwater, Oklahoma, Holliday’s journey to professional baseball was firmly rooted in his home town. He attended Stillwater High School, where he showcased immense talent early on. After a standout freshman year, he committed to continuing his athletic and academic career at Oklahoma State University.

In his junior year, he truly began to shine as he secured a .500 batting average, launching 6 home runs and 50 runs batted in (RBIs). His impressive performance during this period landed him the title of Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Taking part in nationwide events, Holliday showcased his talent on larger stages like the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park. This experience extended his reputation and he was named to USA Baseball’s 18-and-under team.

Entering his senior year in 2022, he fast became a top prospect in MLB’s draft radar. In a particularly memorable game against Union High School, he hit three home runs. Not merely a one-hit-wonder, Holliday would later hit two home runs in a single inning. His senior year ended with a staggering .685 batting average, 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, 29 doubles, and 30 stolen bases over 40 games. He further cemented his place in baseball history by setting a national record for hits in a season for an amateur player with 89, surpassing the 2010 record set by J.T. Realmuto. His stellar year culminated with him being named the Oklahoma Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year, an award previously won by his own father and uncle. He also received an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award.

The Baltimore Orioles saw immense promise in Holliday and chose him as their first overall pick in the ace-studded 2022 MLB draft. Holliday signed with the Orioles for a mind-bending $8.19 million, the largest signing bonus ever awarded to a high school player. He kicked off his professional career with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Orioles, and barely a month later, got promoted to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Single-A Carolina League. Over this transition, Holliday performed consistently, averaging .297, a home run, nine RBIs, and four stolen bases over twenty games.

For the 2023 season, Holliday began with the Shorebirds and performed remarkably well, promoting him to the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds and then the Double-A Bowie Baysox. Near the end of this season, he was promoted to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. At season’s end, he was recognized as Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year.

By spring 2024, Holliday was invited to spring training as a non-roster player and was assigned to Norfolk for the start of the season. He made his major league debut on April 10, 2024. Though his initial ten games saw a slump, he was recalled in July and ended up hitting his first major-league home run, proving his detractors wrong.

Off the field, Jackson Holliday is known for his baseball-oriented family. His older brother, Ethan, is also a promising baseball player committed to play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team. His uncle, Josh Holliday, is the head baseball coach at the same university. On a personal front, Holliday got engaged to his girlfriend, Chloé Cox, on December 28, 2022 and they tied the knot on January 6, 2024.

Jackson Matthew Holliday, a promising adept striver, continues his upward trajectory in the world of baseball. With a rich family lineage and a deeply-rooted passion for the sport, he asserts his place in the annals of baseball history. His journey so far pays homage to his immense talent and suggests a future of further accomplishments on MLB’s diamonds.