Baltimore Orioles Rookie Named ‘Emerging Star’ in Power Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles have a lot of talented young players on their team, but one ranks above the rest.

Sep 4, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jackson Holliday (7) reacts while on the filed before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have been on the receiving end of some excellent production from young players in their lineup.

Up and down the batting order the team is loaded with high-upside players who have contributed throughout the season. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has already emerged as an MVP-level player and is far from the only core member with star potential.

It can be argued that catcher Adley Rutschman has already reached that level. Outfielder Colton Cowser has been excellent as a rookie this season as well.

Designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn is the only regular in the starting lineup who is even 30 years old yet. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Orioles have top-rated prospect Jackson Holliday.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft has taken his lumps as a Major Leaguer this year. There have been flashes of his immense talent, but his slash line of .175/.231/.313 leaves a lot to be desired.

Alas, there is still plenty of time for him to figure things out.

Holliday won’t turn 21 until December and moved through the minor league system rapidly. Some patience needs to be exhibited as he didn’t forget how to play baseball. 

In 73 games and 346 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk, he produced a .271/.431/.477 slash line with 10 home runs, 25 doubles and eight stolen bases. The talent is there, he just needs to hone it for the Major League level.

One of the people who still have a ton of faith in him is Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. He recently ranked the top rookies in baseball in 2024 and the Orioles middle infielder came in at No. 4, headlining the “Emerging Star” section of the piece.

“It hasn't shown up in his big league production yet, but everything that led to Holliday's big minor league numbers is still present and I think some subtle swing adjustments could do the trick for next season,” McDaniel wrote.

Joining Holliday in that tier of the rankings are outfielder Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers, third baseman Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood.

The only players ranked ahead of the Baltimore youngster are outfielder Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers, outfielder Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres and 2024 MLB All-Star Game starting pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They were in “The Franchise Cornerstones” tier.