Angels' Mike Trout an Unlikely Example for Baseball's No. 1 Prospect

Sam Garcia | Aug 20, 2024

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Clawing your way out of the minor league system is a difficult task that most professional baseball players never accomplish. Even when a player makes it out of the minor leagues, another demotion often lies in the future.

Some of the greatest players in MLB history — including Angels veteran Mike Trout — know this rollercoaster all too well.

A more recent passenger on this rollercoaster: Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday. The 20-year-old was drafted straight out of Stillwater High School as the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. In 2023, Holliday was invited to the Orioles’ spring training as a non-roster player, but he was never called up to the Major Leagues. 

This season, Holliday was invited as a non-roster player to the Orioles’ spring training for the second consecutive year. On April 10, the Orioles selected Holliday’s contract, marking the first MLB call-up of his professional career.

However, his major league stint did not last long. Holliday was optioned back to the Triple- A Norfolk Tides 16 days later.  

In his first 10 games with Baltimore, Holliday went 2-for-34 with both of his hits being singles. Across 36 plate appearances, the rookie struck out 18 times. 

Considering Holliday’s resumé leading up to entering the Major Leagues, getting optioned back to the minor leagues was likely a disappointing moment for the young player. He set a national high school record with 89 hits in 41 games in 2022, suggesting that Holliday is usually successful at the plate. He was also named Baseball America’s National High School Player of the Year in 2022. 

Additionally, Holliday is the son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday. His father won the World Series in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also boasts four Silver Slugger awards and an NLCS MVP in 2007. Jackson’s relation to such a decorated MLB player adds extra pressure to the rookie. 

But, the Orioles have reminded Holliday of the players who have faced the same struggles as him and still turned into MLB legends. One of the examples both cited was Trout, an 11-time All-Star. 

I reminded him that Trout also got sent down. Evidently, the Orioles also passed along that same reminder to Jackson when they sent him down. Great minds. https://t.co/hqDR4O0AdT

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) August 16, 2024

Trout, who was also a first round draft pick in 2009, was optioned twice in his first three seasons with the Angels. He was optioned in Aug. 2011 and March 2012. Since then, Trout has earned countless accolades and secured his future spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Holliday was recalled to the Orioles one day after the trade deadline, and he has shown significant improvement since his return. In his last 15 games, he slashed .286/.322/.554 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. Perhaps the reminder of the obstacles faced by many MLB players has inspired Holliday.