Despite Friday night’s 12-10 loss to the Boston Red Sox, one player was a beacon of hope for the Baltimore Orioles. As the team looks to make the playoffs for the second straight year, young infielder Jackson Holliday showed why so many MLB analysts and experts rank him as the best baseball talent of all time. Holliday is now the youngest player in Orioles history to score three hits and three runs in a single game, according to Birdland Insider on X (formerly Twitter).

The loss dropped Baltimore to second place in the AL East, one game behind the New York Yankees. The Birds are looking to win their second consecutive AL East title after winning the division last year to secure first place in the AL. While that mission wouldn’t be accomplished if the season ended today, the second baseman, who was selected first in the 2022 MLB Draft, has still taken another big step forward in his budding MLB career.

Jackson Holliday and the Orioles want to continue their push into the playoffs

Even after tonight’s loss, the Orioles are only one game behind the Yankees. They’re also atop the AL Wild Card standings, so they have their fate in their own hands as long as they continue to play like they have all season. Remember, two Wild Card teams made it to the World Series last year. That includes the eventual champion Texas Rangers, who beat Baltimore to win their first World Series trophy in 2023.

With so much young talent, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Baltimore go on a long run in October and beyond. Holliday’s performance was just a small part of what he’s accomplished since returning to the major leagues a few weeks ago. Today’s game was the first of his career in which he had four hits. Yes, he’s only batted .200 with five home runs and 15 RBIs so far, but his performance since returning to the major leagues after the All-Star break has been particularly impressive.

Holliday has a .239 batting average with four home runs and nine RBIs since Aug. 1, and the game before that was his first in the major leagues since late April. In the July 31 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, the former top pick hit a grand slam to help the Orioles win 10-4. The potential is there, and it has become increasingly apparent since Holliday’s return to Camden Yards. If he can continue to improve, the Orioles’ chances of taking the Fall Classic crown in late October will be a little better.