Jackson Holliday called up: Orioles shortstop +350 to win AL Rookie of the Year

Top MLB prospect Jackson Holliday has been called up by the Baltimore Orioles, and his odds to win AL Rookie of the Year have shortened to +350.

That makes Holliday, a 20-year-old shortstop, the joint-second-favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year.

His main competition consists of two Texas Rangers players: Evan Carter at +350 and Wyatt Langford at +225.

Holliday entered the 2024 MLB season as the third-favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year at +450.

The fact Holliday did not make the Major League roster out of Spring Training drew headlines. Instead, he played AAA ball in the Minor Leagues for the Norfolk Tides.

In his 10 games at AAA this season, Holliday posted a slash line of .333/.482/.595 with two home runs, nine RBI and an 8-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Orioles have played 10 games this season, have a 6-4 record and sit just below the league average with a .234 team batting average. The team's .285 on-base percentage is well below average and is tied with the lowly Oakland Athletics.

Baltimore's infield has struggled at the plate this season which is likely the main reason why the organization did not wait until May to call up Holliday. A call up in May or later would have ensured Holliday doesn't complete a full year of service time, which would have given the organization another year with Holliday before he reaches free agency after six years of service time.

So far, Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg is hitting .194, third baseman Ramon Urias is hitting .091, and reigning Rookie of the Year shortstop Gunnar Henderson is hitting .231. The team's outfield also has two starters hitting below .200.

Of course, it's not guaranteed that Holliday will replicate his Minor League numbers right after joining the Show. But teams will not be as familiar with his tendencies at the plate as they are with those of MLB veterans, and he has crushed the ball at all levels of Minor League Baseball.

Holliday could make his debut on Wednesday night against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.