SARASOTA—What’s happening? After just 20 professional games, Jackson Holliday got an invitation to Orioles spring training. Holliday, the overall No. 1 pick in last June’s draft, will be in big league camp briefly before he’s reassigned to minor league camp.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been great to be around all the young guys,” Holliday said. “To be around them has been really sweet.”
The 19-year-old shortstop wasn’t surprised to get an invitation to major league camp.
“I’m looking to make the most of it,” Holliday said. “The cool part of this organization has to be around all the young guys, and to be around them.”
Holliday, the 12th-rated prospect by MLB Pipeline, is the youngest player in camp and is learning from the experience.
“It’s been pretty awesome to come in every single day and know who you’re competing with,” he said. “We’ve been playing a lot of ping pong, putt-putt, bowling and get on the field, and at the end of each round, it’s a competition.”
Holliday is the son of longtime major leaguer Matt Holliday, a seven-time All-Star,who played as recently as 2018. He attended spring trainings each year.
“It’s been a blessing to be raised in baseball and know what to expect coming into your first spring training. It’s been very helpful to know what I’m getting myself into and be around some guys that I watched playing on TV,” he said “He didn’t have to tell me much, just have fun with it, and work hard, and get to know these guys because you’ll be around them for quite a long time.”
Manager Brandon Hyde has enjoyed watching Holliday.
“Cool experience for him. He is really talented,” Hyde said. “I’ve been so impressed watching him. He doesn’t look like a guy that was in high school a year ago. It’s special ability, and he’s really talented. I’m trying to get him into some games early, get him a little bit of experience, but we’re really enjoying having him and just want him to soak in his first big league camp.
“We think really highly of his future. We want him to be around our major league players and our major league coaches right now. It’s only going to benefit him.”
What’s happened? The Orioles had their first full-squad workout on Tuesday. Before it started, Hyde addressed the team.
“We talked a little about last year and how we played. I just wanted us to build off of last year,” Hyde said. “We have a core group of guys who’ve got a lot of confidence off last year. It’s building off of a season where noboby expected us to do anything.
“We wanted guys to be aware that we haven’t done anything, either. We have a long way to go. What we did last year, we put ourselves on the map, and we just have to keep ourselves going.”
The Orioles play their first Grapefruit League game on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.
“They’re excited to get going. Saturday’s going to come quick, so we’ve got to get ready to go,” Hyde said.
Outfielders Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, second baseman Adam Frazier and catchers James McCann and Adley Rutschman took batting practice in Ed Smith Stadium. Kyle Gibson, Cole Irvin, Dean Kremer, Austin Voth and reliever Bryan Baker pitched against them.
What’s up with? Daz Cameron was claimed off waivers from Detroit on November 9th and later outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. In parts of the last three seasons, the 26-year-old outfielder hit .201 in 73 major league games.
“It’s an opportunity to get better, man, and some playing time,” Cameron said. “That [has to be] earned. This organization is very, very competitive about playing the game.”
Cameron thinks he can add “a little bit of everything, all around” to the Orioles. “I’ll let my game [speak] for itself.”
His father, longtime major leaguer Mike Cameron, was a clubhouse visitor earlier this week. The elder Cameron has been vital to his son’s career.
“From a mentality standpoint, mindset, 100 percent,” Cameron said. “If there’s something you feel like you’re struggling with mentally. This game is 95 percent mental.”
Mike Cameron played in the majors until 2011, when Daz was 14, so he couldn’t give him as much hands-on instruction as he would have liked.
“I learned more of the game just playing the game,” he said.
What’s what? Holliday has added more excitement to a camp already packed with prospects. While most of the attention has gone to DL Hall, Grayson Rodriguez and Gunnar Henderson, Holliday has been overlooked, if that’s possible, for a player who was picked first overall.
What’s the word? “There’s first-round picks all over the place. That’s been the coolest part.”-Holliday on big league camp.
What’s the number? 20. That’s the number of professional games Holliday has played–12 for Single-A Delmarva and eight in the Florida Complex League.