"Would mean the world to me" - Jackson Holliday's father Matt turns emotional after son's exclusive 1/1 rookie MLB debut patch autograph card release
Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday had a strong rookie season in 2024. Despite having struggled in his first taste of top-level baseball action, which led to him being sent back down to Triple-A level, the 20-year-old looked much more comfortable after he was recalled in late July.
On Monday, MLB trading card manufacturer Topps confirmed the release of a Jackson Holliday rookie patch debut card. The card will feature the actual patch that Holliday wore during his first big league game, along with his autograph. Being a 1/1, there is only one existing copy of the card, making it extremely rare and highly sought-after by collectors.
On Tuesday, Jackson's father, Matt Holliday, talked about his desire to own the card, for a much more sentimental reason.
"Owning that card would mean the world to me," Matt Holliday said
Years before Jackson Holliday made it to the majors, Matt was an established big leaguer. Holliday Sr. spent 15 years in the big leagues, earning seven All-Star caps, winning a World Series, a batting title and four Silver Slugger awards. He is also in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Jackson Holliday's first season had some great moments, but left much to be desired
Rejoining the team on July 31, 2024, Jackson Holliday looked to be a changed man. Holliday established himself as an important lower-order hitter for the O's, a position in the lineup he held for pretty much the remainder of the season.
Probably the most memorable moment of the season for the 20-year-old was his first major league home run. Straight after returning to the lineup, Holliday hit a grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
However, the season did not pan out the way Holliday and the Orioles hoped. The Yankees pipped them to the AL East division title, before they went out with a whimper in the first playoff series, scoring a single run over two games.
Jackson Holliday finished the season with a .189 batting average and a .565 OPS, which he will be looking to improve next season season.