Jackson Holliday’s MLB dream has started with a nightmare at the plate.
Holliday, the 20-year-old who entered the season as baseball’s top prospect, has just two hits in 34 at-bats, with 18 strikeouts.
He spoke to The Athletic and kept things in perspective.
“Whenever you’re struggling a little bit, you just start searching,” Holliday said.
“And start creating little habits. I’m just making some adjustments, because you got to. It’s a lot more difficult than Triple-A. I don’t think there’s very many people in the big leagues who haven’t struggled. It just happens to be at the beginning.”
Holliday grew up around the game as the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday.
“Obviously I wasn’t expecting this,” Jackson said. “I knew what I was getting myself into. It’s the best of the best of the best for a reason. I guess I haven’t had a challenge yet, and this is the first one. … It’s obviously challenging, but I feel like I’m handling it the best that I can.”
While Holliday, who started the season at Triple-A, struggles some of the Orioles’ other young guns are thriving.
Baltimore is off to a 15-8 start with Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg all raking at the plate.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wasn’t sweating Holliday’s slow start.
“It’s not easy on this stage to not get off to the start that you want to,” he said.
“Especially if you’re 20 and you have one year of professional experience. You just try to put your arm around him. Try to make sure that he’s OK mentally. He’s just trying to do a little too much. He’s trying to get a hit. He’s trying to produce.
“It’s about being process oriented. As hard as that can possibly be when you look up at the scoreboard and see what your batting average is.”
