Jackson Holliday took his game to the next level in the presence of his father, an All-Star

Living in the shadow of a successful family member can be a challenge, especially when that father is a well-known MLB All-Star. That’s exactly the situation Jackson Holliday, son of former Colorado Rockies shortstop Matt Holliday, finds himself in. As if being the son of a superstar wasn’t enough, Jackson Holliday was drafted first overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 with high expectations.

The 20-year-old has to get used to the fact that everyone is watching him and has to be constantly prepared for criticism. But when the Orioles went to Coors Field, where his father is well-known and was present, he must have felt a little extra pressure. The youngster kept his cool and didn’t give up.

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Jackson Holliday made his MLB debut at the start of the 2024 season. After just a few games and some intense batting struggles, he was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk. He seems to be feeling a bit more comfortable since returning to the big leagues, even if he still hasn’t lived up to expectations in terms of batting.

Holliday averaged .186 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs that season. He had a hit in each of his games in Colorado, but it was what he did with his glove that stood out the most.

Naturally, being a shortstop, Holliday was asked to learn a new position. With rising star Gunnar Henderson holding down the Orioles’ shortstop spot, Holliday was thrust into playing second base. While it’s not an extreme position change, it could be a challenge for the 20-year-old former No. 1 overall pick to accept a different role than he’s used to.

Holliday has been making all the plays he should and even some he shouldn’t at second base lately. The range he’s developed makes the shortstop seem to be paying off after witnessing the play he made in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Rockies. Even though the hitter hasn’t quite reached his full potential, Holliday continues to prove he belongs in the big leagues by helping his team in any way he can.