"Go get em’ kid!" – Tony Kemp congratulates Jackson Holliday on MLB promotion after being DFA’d by Orioles to make roster space
The MLB universe is buzzing as the Baltimore Orioles have promoted baseball's number one prospect, Jackson Holliday. The ultra-talented infielder has been called up from Triple-A and is slated to bat 9th against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
"Almost 20 years to the day after his father made his big league debut, Jackson Holliday has been called up to The Show" - @MLBPipeline
Although many were puzzled by the Baltimore Orioles' decision to place Jackson Holliday in Triple-A to start the year, he did not have to wait long before getting his shot with the big club. The first-overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft has been a force to be reckoned with throughout his minor league career and now fans, experts, and colleagues are thrilled to see what he can do in the major leagues.
One of these fellow MLB players is beloved veteran Tony Kemp, who was designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles to make roster space for Jackson Holliday. While many professional athletes may be bitter about a young player coming up and taking their job on an MLB roster, this was not the case for Kemp.
"In the fall of 2010, our college had a series against the Longhorns for a 3 game set. Our hitting coach at the time was Josh Holliday and his brother, Matt, brought his kid to our early practice. I remember watching his son @J_Holliday7 with a sweet lefty swing. Go get em’ kid!" - @tonykemp
The veteran journeyman took to social media to not only congratulate the rookie but also wish him well. "Go get em’ kid!" Kemp posted on social media, saying how he witnessed a young Jackson swinging with his father, Cardinals legend Matt Holliday. It was a touching moment from Kemp, who did not need to be so welcoming.
Jackson Holliday will look to follow in the footsteps of other Orioles prospects who made the jump to the MLB
It seems that Holliday could not have landed with a better club than the Baltimore Orioles. Given the ages of the core of the roster, as well as the team's desire to win it all now, Holliday will not only fit in with the team but be required to perform right away.
In recent years, we have seen several Orioles prospects successfully make the jump to the MLB, something that he will be looking to emulate. Stars such as Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle, and Grayson Rodriguez are some of the current squad who made the same jump that Jackson Holliday has.