Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are calling MLB's top prospect up to the big leagues.

Twenty-year-old shortstop Jackson Holliday has dominated Triple-A this year by virtue of a .333 average (1.077 OPS) with two home runs and nine RBI through 10 games.

Now the inevitable has become a reality with his promotion, first reported ESPN's Jeff Passan on Tuesday.

Holliday notably excelled in spring training, hitting .311 with two homers and six RBI. He didn't make the big league team out of camp, but his wait to make the majors lasted only a couple weeks longer.

Holliday, who is the eldest son of seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft.

He's been nothing short of dominant in the minors ever since. He rolled from Single A to Triple A in 2023, hitting .323 (.941 OPS) with 12 home runs and 75 RBI. Holliday added 113 runs and 24 stolen bases as well.

So really it was a matter of when and not if he would be called up in 2024. Turns out that he's making the Show just 10 games into the Orioles' season.

As far as some off-field logistics go, Passan noted the O's can receive a first-round pick through the prospect promotion incentive.

Chris Clegg of Rotoballer added he will accrue a full year of service time as well.

Ultimately, the future is now in Baltimore, which is primed and ready to compete for World Series titles for years to come.

Remarkably, the Orioles still have three other players in the top 30 of MLB's prospect list even without Holliday in Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad.

The Baltimore Orioles have the top farm system in baseball according to MLB.com's rankings, and it was fairly clear why on Wednesday.

Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides, exploded for 26 runs in a 26-11 victory over the Charlotte Knights on Wednesday. ESPN noted the performance set Tides team records for runs, hits (29) and home runs (eight).

Kyle Stowers launched three of those long balls, while Heston Kjerstad added two with a 5-for-7 night and 10 RBI. Jackson Holliday, who is the No. 1 overall prospect on MLB.com's rankings, set the table at the top of the order with four hits and five runs scored.

Norfolk is off to quite the start to the season with a 4-1 record and 13 runs per game. The only time it failed to score double-digit runs was its 17-5 loss to the Durham Bulls on Sunday.

Baltimore has four prospects in the top 31 of MLB.com's rankings, underscoring how bright the future is for the American League East team.

The present is also bright, though, as it is coming off an American League East crown at 101-61, which was just its second division title since the 1997 campaign. It also won its first two series of the year against the Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals and sits at 4-2 in the early portion of the 2024 campaign.

MLB owners unanimously approved the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to a group led by businessman David Rubenstein on Wednesday.

Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post relayed Major League Baseball's press release on the sale. It was noted that the vote took place on a conference call, and Rubenstein's purchase is expected to be finalized later in the day Wednesday:

Rubenstein is buying the Orioles from the Angelos family. Peter Angelos, who bought the Orioles in 1993 and served as principal owner for the next three decades, died last week at the age of 94.

The 74-year-old Rubenstein posted a video on X following MLB's announcement in which he expressed excitement to be the Orioles' new owner after growing up in Baltimore and being a longtime Orioles fan:

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Rubenstein is buying the O's at a valuation of $1.725 billion, which is the third-largest sale in MLB history behind the New York Mets in 2020 and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.

Angelos and his group originally purchased the Orioles for just $173 million in 1993.

Passan noted that MLB accelerated the sale process, as Rubenstein is set to become the official owner less than two months after agreeing to buy the team.

Rubenstein and his group will own 40 percent of the franchise at first, but a plan is in place for them to buy another 30 percent of the Orioles from the Angelos family in the future.

Notable members of Rubenstein's ownership group include Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill, former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Rubenstein is taking over a franchise with a rich history, as the Orioles are three-time World Series champions, although they haven't won since 1983.

From 2017 to 2022, the O's missed the playoffs in six straight seasons and were among the worst teams in baseball during that time, but they took a huge step forward last season.

The Orioles posted the best record in the American League at 101-61 and won their first American League East title since 2014.

Baltimore is arguably the team to beat in the AL in 2024 with a core that includes Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Burnes, but they are also built to contend for many years to come.

With No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday and a host of other young, talented players on the way, Rubenstein figures to preside over a highly successful time in Orioles history.

The Baltimore Orioles announced Saturday that longtime owner Peter Angelos died at the age of 94.

In a statement from the Angelos family provided to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, the family noted that Angelos "had been ill for several years."

Angelos headed a group that purchased the Orioles in 1993, and while he had served as principal owner since then, his sons Louis and John Angelos took on bigger roles within the organization in recent years while Peter tended to his health issues.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Angelos family agreed earlier this year to sell the Orioles to a group led by businessman David Rubenstein for $1.725 billion.

This month, the Major League Baseball ownership committee voted to approve the sale, and it could be finalized by April.

Rubenstein also released a statement on Angelos' passing:

The investment in the Orioles proved to be a smart one for the Angelos family, as Peter Angelos' group purchased the franchise for $173 million in 1993.

Angelos was born in Baltimore in 1929, and after making his fortune as a lawyer, he purchased his hometown team.

During Angelos' nearly three decades at the helm, the O's neither reached nor won a World Series, but they made the playoffs on six occasions and won the American League East three times.

Most recently, the Orioles went 101-61 and won the AL East last season, just two years after posting a 52-110 record.

Baltimore boasts one of the best young rosters in the league, and after adding former Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes in an offseason trade, the Orioles may be the team to beat in the AL in 2024.

The O's also figure to be a contender for many years to come thanks to the presence of No. 1 MLB prospect Jackson Holliday, plus other young players such as Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser.

The already-crowded infield for the Baltimore Orioles won't include Jackson Holliday when the 2024 MLB regular season begins next week.

Holliday, the No. 1 overall prospect in MLB, was reassigned to minor league camp on Friday. He will likely open the season with the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk where he finished 2023.

This is a disappointing, if not unexpected, outcome for Holliday. The 20-year-old certainly looked like one of the best players in Orioles' camp. He hit .311/.354/.600 with two homers, six RBI and two stolen bases in 45 at-bats.

If there was an argument against Holliday right now, it's that the Orioles don't necessarily have a spot for him. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson is locked in at shortstop.

Jordan Westburg, a top-20 prospect last season, was going to get the first crack as the starting second baseman. The 25-year-old posted a .260/.311/.404 slash line in 228 plate appearances as a rookie in 2023.

The argument for Holliday to make the Opening Day roster is because of the versatility it would offer manager Brandon Hyde. Holliday could slot in at shortstop, with Henderson moving to third base.

If there's one position on the infield that's unsettled in Baltimore right now, it's the hot corner. Ramón Urías is penciled in as the starting third baseman, but he struggled last season with a .264/.328/.375 slash line in 116 games.

This scenario would potentially create another problem down the road, because Coby Mayo is going to be the third baseman on the same Norfolk team with Holliday after he was also reassigned on Friday.

Mayo is a top-30 prospect entering this season. He might eventually move to first base by virtue of his size—he's listed at 6'5" and 230 pounds—but it would be a waste of his value to immediately start him at that spot.

These are roster problems that every MLB club would love to have. Holliday will eventually be in Baltimore, probably sooner than later, but he only has 54 games of experience in the minors above the High-A level.

Jackson, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. He hit .323/.442/.499 with 12 homers and 75 RBI in 125 games across four levels last season.

The Baltimore Orioles once again have the best farm system in Major League Baseball, topping the 2024 preseason rankings.

MLB.com's Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo put the O's in the No. 1 spot, which is a position they have occupied since the 2021 midseason rankings.

Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers.

The full preseason farm system rankings are as follows:

1. Baltimore Orioles
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. San Diego Padres
5. Detroit Tigers
6. Tampa Bay Rays
7. Texas Rangers
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Cincinnati Reds
11. New York Yankees
12. Washington Nationals
13. New York Mets
14. Boston Red Sox
15. Minnesota Twins
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
17. San Francisco Giants
18. Seattle Mariners
19. Cleveland Guardians
20. Chicago White Sox
21. Colorado Rockies
22. Philadelphia Phillies
23. St. Louis Cardinals
24. Toronto Blue Jays
25. Oakland Athletics
26. Atlanta Braves
27. Houston Astros
28. Kansas City Royals
29. Miami Marlins
30. Los Angeles Angels

After missing the playoffs in six straight seasons and being one of MLB's worst teams for much of that timeframe, the Orioles took a big step forward last season, and the development of former top prospects was a big reason why.

Baltimore won the American League East and had the best record in the AL last season at 101-61, and it was led by young stars such as Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez, all of whom were 25 years of age or younger.

As good as the Orioles were last year, they have the potential to become the dominant team in baseball in the coming years if their top prospects turn out to be as good as advertised.

Baltimore's status as the top farm system is bolstered by the presence of No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday. The 2022 No. 1 overall draft pick hit .323 with 12 home runs, 75 RBI and 24 stolen bases in the minor leagues last season and he has a strong chance to make the Opening Day roster this season.

The O's also boast four other top-32 prospects in Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have seven top-100 prospects, led by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong at No. 16, and the Brewers have five top-100 prospects, including four in the top 50.

Milwaukee's system is headlined by No. 2 prospect Jackson Chourio, who signed an eight-year, $82 million contract with the Brewers in December before ever appearing in his first MLB game.

Chourio, who turns 20 next week, hit .283 with 22 homers, 91 RBI and 44 steals in the minors last season, making him a potential 30/30 or 40/40 threat at the next level once he develops.