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Kiley McDaniel, ESPN MLB Insider
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said shortstop Jackson Holliday, the consensus best prospect in baseball, will be given “every opportunity” to make the Opening Day roster.
Hyde was speaking to the media at MLB’s winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.
Holliday, son of 15-year-veteran outfielder Matt Holliday, was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. He blitzed through the minors, reaching Triple-A last season. Jackson Holliday turned 20 years old Monday.
The Orioles have had a quiet offseason so far, making no major moves. Their payroll currently ranks 26th in the league.
Gunnar Henderson, the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year, split time between shortstop (64 starts) and third base (68 starts) last year. Veteran infielder Jorge Mateo took the bulk of the shortstop playing time (95 starts) but could easily transition into a utility role, or battle Jordan Westburg for playing time at second base, to make way for Holliday.
Given the new Prospect Promotion Incentive, teams are encouraged to have Top 100 prospects who could win Rookie of the Year on their big-league roster in the first week of the season. Corbin Carroll‘s and Julio Rodriguez’s Rookie of the Year campaigns netted their clubs draft picks at the end of the first round in the next season’s draft because they were on the Opening Day rosters.