"Word on the street, top pick Jackson Holliday is getting over $8M from the Orioles" - MLB insider reveals Baltimore Orioles dug deep into their pockets to acquire top pick from 2022 Drafts
The Baltimore Orioles surprised the baseball world by selecting Stillwater High School shortstop Jackson Holliday as the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. The 18-year-old highly touted prospect is an elite hitter with great speed and defensive abilities.
Although Holliday is young and raw and needs to work on aspects of his game, the talent is there for all to see. He broke high school records during his senior year and is regarded as one of the top hitters in this year's draft class. It's no wonder the Orioles are looking to shell out big money on this rising star.
Word on the street, top pick Jackson Holliday is getting over $8M from the Orioles.
"Word on the street, top pick Jackson Holliday is getting over $8M from the Orioles." - Jon Heyman
In 41 games last year for Stillwater High, the shortstop batted .685/.749/1.392 with 17 home runs and 79 RBIs.
Reports suggest the Orioles will go all out to sign Holliday, who still has the option to attend Oklahoma State University in the fall. That route, though, seems highly unlikely for Holliday, who is expected to join the Orioles' farm system.
The Baltimore Orioles pick Jackson Holliday is the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday
The way the MLB draft is set up, each pick is assigned a dollar value. The slot value for the first pick is $8.85 million this year. Druw Jones, favored by many to go number one, was reported to want a maximum deal. With Holliday, however, the Baltimore Orioles should be able to negotiate and sign a deal closer to around $8 million.
The Baltimore Orioles select Jackson Holliday, son of Matt Holliday, with the first pick in the 2022 MLB Draft 👏
(📸 Josh Dean Photography) https://t.co/twtGlPRG1m
The Baltimore Orioles hold three of the first 50 draft picks in this draft. Fortunately, they also have the highest signing bonus pool of any team with $16.93 million.
When asked about being selected number one overall, Holliday was humble in his response:
"I want to honor the Orioles for selecting me. I'm going to work as hard as I can to to make it to the Major Leagues and have a great career for them and for their fans," said Holliday.
Jackson Holliday is the the son of former MLB player Matt Holliday. His father had an illustrious 15-year career in the majors. He was a seven-time All-Star and won the World Series in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Baltimore Orioles rebuild is progressing better than anyone expected. The team is currently 46-46 going into the All-Star break. The organization should be excited about adding another premier player to their arsenal who will be a valuable asset for years to come.