NOBODY'S PERFECT

No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile

- J.J. COOPER

Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday is the No. 1 prospect in baseball. He’s the reigning Minor League Player of the Year. The year before that he was High School Player of the Year. He enters 2024 as one of the favorites to be the American League Rookie of the Year.

The 20-year-old is an outstanding prospect and should be one of the better players in baseball over the next decade. It’s hard not to get excited about Holliday’s potential.

But no player is perfect. In Holliday’s case, his one blemish is worth monitoring as he competes for a spot in Baltimore’s Opening Day lineup at second base or shortstop. It also explains why he’s not viewed as a potential third baseman.

Holliday’s arm is short for shortstop at this point in his young career. Players can improve arm strength with healthy doses of long toss or other training techniques. But right now, arm strength is the only big question for the top prospect in baseball.

Holliday has quick hands, a fast exchange and quick release. His body control is excellent and he seems to have the ability to know where everyone is on the diamond, even when he’s running with his back to home plate to try to run down a fly ball.

As a savvy and advanced player for his age, Holliday figures out ways to ensure that his arm is rarely a hindrance. He has mastered a hip slide that allows him to pop up and throw when needed.

But he rarely lets it rip on a throw. In his month at Triple-A Norfolk to end the