Now in Triple-A, Jackson Holliday will join Bryce Harper and Ronald Acuña Jr. on the exclusive roster – The Denver Post

Later this month, when Jackson Holliday has racked up a week of Triple-A appearances, he will join a club made up of some of MLB’s biggest names.

Before becoming stars in the big leagues, Bryce Harper, Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ozzie Albies did what Holliday is about to do. These four players have been on a shortlist of prospects since 2006 to reach Triple-A before their 19-year-old season and total at least 20 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs.

Holliday, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, is expected to be promoted to the Triple-A level from Norfolk to continue his remarkable rise through the Orioles’ minor league system. About 14 months ago, the shortstop was drafted with the first overall pick out of high school. This week he will play at his fourth tier of the season.

In late July, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Holliday achieving Triple A would be “bordering on unprecedented.” And the way Holliday achieved this might be more impressive than that of its predecessors.

In total, seven players have achieved the feat since 2006: the four stars and three low-level prospects who have yet to see the majors. Those players — Yeyson Yrizarri, Robert Perez Jr. Luis Vázquez — weren’t in their teams’ top 10 prospects on MLB Pipeline at the time, and all returned to the lower minors in subsequent seasons.

The only player in the group to be drafted in the first 10 rounds was Harper, who the Washington Nationals selected first overall in the 2010 draft. The National League’s double most valuable player was drafted at age 17 and achieved triple-A in his second full professional season in 2012. Holliday, who was 18 when the Orioles selected him last July, will do so to end his first full season. professional campaign.

Harper hit .297 with an .894 OPS between Single-A and Double-A in 2011. At 19, the outfielder played 21 Triple-A games before receiving his call-up to the big league.

Acuña, Guerrero and Albies were all signed as international free agents at 16 or 17 and also reached Triple A in their third professional season.

During his 19-year-old season, Acuña hit .325 with an .896 OPS. He made his MLB debut the following year in 2018 for the Atlanta Braves. Guerrero posted a .323 ERA and .910 OPS in his first full pro season at age 18. He crushed double and triple A throws the following year with a 1.073 OPS and was in the majors the following season in 2019 for the Toronto Blue Jays. . During Albies’ 19-year-old season, the shortstop hit .292 with a .778 OPS between the minors’ top two tiers. He also made his debut the following year in 2017 for the Braves.

Holliday’s numbers in his first full professional season are better than any of his predecessors, and only Guerrero’s season at 19 is better than those the Baltimore wonderkid has achieved this season. In 107 games, Holliday is down .333/.451/.517 — good for a .968 OPS — with 26 doubles, nine triples, 10 homers, 23 stolen bases and 85 walks against 101 strikeouts.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday he knew Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, was more mature than his age this spring when the shortstop spent his first month in camp. major leagues.

“It was fun having him in spring training,” Hyde said. “It was also pretty rare to have a high school kid in his first spring training at a major league camp. … I was really impressed with the way he handled it all, the way he fit in. He didn’t try to do too much. A lot of kids try to do too much, especially on their first major league camp, especially at that age. And he was really consistent.

“He obviously has great bloodlines, he’s been around a lot of big league players and I think that’s incredibly helpful. And he’s extremely talented too, so yeah, he’s happy with the year he’s having.

But the fifth-year manager and former minor league captain admitted he never witnessed what Holliday did this season.

“I didn’t see that,” Hyde said. “It would be my first.”

1. Coby Mayo, Norfolk triple-A cornerman

Another big week, and Mayo’s Triple-A numbers are starting to look like he’s used to posting. In his first 28 games for Norfolk, the 21-year-old hit .194 with a .682 OPS. But he has since posted a .316 average and 1.150 OPS in 16 games, including a 6-for-22 streak last week with three home runs, seven walks and six RBIs. After posting a 1.026 OPS in Double-A, the club’s No. 3 prospect has a .864 OPS in Triple-A.

2. Jud Fabian, Bowie Double-A outfielder

Fabian’s first two and a half months in Double-A have been strange. The Orioles’ No. 9 prospect, according to Baseball America, hits just .172, but he’s hit 14 homers in 55 games. Last week, the 2022 second-round pick was 5 of 18 with two home runs, five RBIs and eight walks. Between Aberdeen and Bowie, Fabian cuts .225/.351/.450 – good for an .800 OPS.

3. Norfolk triple-A right-hander Chayce McDermott

Jorge López joined the Orioles this weekend after trading him at last year’s deadline, a return that is the latest evidence of a paid trade. The other deal Baltimore made last year also looked even better on Sunday, when right-hander Chayce McDermott, who the Orioles acquired as part of the Trey Mancini deal, pitched seven one-run innings, one career high. McDermott is shooting even better at Norfolk than at Bowie before his promotion. In 45 2/3 innings with the Tides, the 25-year-old has a 2.56 ERA and 30.9 percent strikeout rate.

4. Low-A Delmarva outfielder Matthew Etzel

No member of the Orioles’ 2023 draft class hits better than Etzel. The 10th-round pick reduced .333/.462/.531 for a .992 OPS in 25 games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A to earn promotion, alongside first-rounder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and second-rounder Mac Horvath. , in Aberdeen.

5. Connor Norby, Norfolk triple-A second baseman

Norby’s title has dropped this year, but with three weeks left in the International League season, the 2021 second-round pick hits .287 with an OPS of .828. He recorded one hit in all six games last week to extend his streak to nine. After struggling in April with an OPS of .658, he’s posted an OPS of .800 or higher every month since. The 23-year-old was 9-for-26 with four doubles and two home runs last week. Norby, a former top-100 prospect who is now ranked 11th best at the club, has 36 doubles and 18 homers this season.

The best prospect has not been presented so far

Technically, Colton Cowser, the club’s No. 2 prospect, would fall into this category. But he only played two games last week before joining the Orioles for two days and returning to Norfolk. The second prospect, meanwhile, returned to the field after a brief stint on the injured list. Wide receiver Samuel Basallo, Baltimore’s fourth-best prospect, was 5-of-7 with four runs, one double, three home runs, six RBIs and four walks in two games for the IronBirds. After posting .887 OPS for the Shorebirds, the 19-year-old has 1.004 OPS in 22 High-A games.

The international acquisition of the week

Frederick Bencosme struggled for much of the season with Aberdeen, hitting .242 with a .308 hitting percentage. But the infielder recorded 11 hits last week on 28 at-bats with a double, a triple and six RBIs. The 20-year-old opened the season as the club’s No. 29 prospect, according to Baseball America, but has since fallen out of the Orioles’ top 30.

It’s time to say hello…

Although Etzel, Bradfield and Horvath earned promotions, they weren’t the top rookies of 2023 last week. Tavian Josenberger, an outfielder selected by the Orioles in the third round, was 7-for-13 with a triple, five walks and five RBIs for the Shorebirds. During the season, Josenberger hit .242 with a .698 OPS in 19 Low-A games.

Orioles at the Angels

Tuesday, 9:38 p.m.

TV: MASN2

Radio: 97.9FM, 101.5FM, 1090AM

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