To grasp why Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday is the no. 1 prospect on our High 100 listing, look no additional than Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin’s writeup of the 20-year-old phenom. They describe Holliday, the primary total choose within the 2022 draft, as “a sweet-swinging shortstop with above-average really feel for contact and burgeoning energy,” and shut their analysis by predicting that he “could be very prone to grow to be a 5-WAR shortstop who does all the things effectively.” He has been spending time at second base this spring, as a result of the O’s have already got final 12 months’s no. 1 total prospect Gunnar Henderson at shortstop, however both approach, stardom is seemingly in Holliday’s future.
That the promising teenager is the son of former huge league slugger Matt Holliday is well-known. Additionally it is a main consider his superior strategy to hitting, in addition to his total understanding of his craft. Final season, which he started in Low-A and led to Triple-A, the lefty-hitting Holliday produced a .323/.442/.499 slash line and 159 wRC+ throughout 4 ranges of the minor leagues.
Holliday sat down to speak hitting over the weekend previous to a Grapefruit League recreation in Sarasota.
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David Laurila: How do you strategy hitting?
Jackson Holliday: “So far as guessing pitches… that’s not one thing I’m nice at. However I actually get pleasure from studying about swings — totally different guys’ swings — how they work, and little issues that may assist, like cues. My dad has been round baseball for therefore lengthy, and is such a hitting man, and I acquired that from him. However yeah, my strategy is fairly easy. I attempt to keep in the midst of subject, keep on my bottom, and hit the heater.”
Laurila: Are you mainly looking fastballs and adjusting from there?
Holliday: “Yeah. I sit fastball. I don’t sit offspeed except there’s a actual outlier. That’s one thing I realized from my dad. He would sit heater and attempt to hit it to the center of the sector. Should you’re in a great place to hit a fastball to the center of the sector you may alter to the offspeed pitch lots higher than you may sitting offspeed and making an attempt to hit a heater.”
Laurila: How onerous is it to be diligent with that? There are going to be instances the place your unconscious mind tells you, “He’s not going to throw a fastball right here.”
Holliday: “Yeah. However I attempt to eradicate that. The few instances final 12 months I might take into consideration a slider, I might get blown up by a heater. So, that’s positively one thing I attempt to get away from. Sitting on a heater… my physique adjusts the perfect that approach. I’m really hitting extra offspeed pitches once I’m doing that.”
Laurila: How have you ever developed by way of your setup and swing?
Holliday: “What I’ve now could be type of the baseline of the swing I had as a senior in highschool. I wasn’t very constant, or excellent, so I needed to make some changes. I did some refined cleansing up of my load, getting again to my leg kick, ensuring my fingers have been able that I need to fireplace from. In spring coaching final 12 months, I labored on it somewhat bit extra, and I’ve continued to work on it. I need to be as constant as doable.
“The leg kick, and ensuring that I’m on my bottom, is vital to me. Should you come out of your bottom, your entrance aspect goes to open; dangerous issues are likely to occur when the entrance aspect opens. So, it’s type of considering that I’m going to hit a house run over the batter’s eye. I do know that’s fairly unlikely, but it surely will get me in a superb place to hit with my decrease physique. Once more, I’m making an attempt to fireside via the center.”
Laurila: What have you ever realized about your self as a hitter not too long ago, be it from knowledge, hitting coaches, etcetera?
Holliday: “Sure issues that I’ll battle on. Final 12 months it was the changeup at instances. It turned, ‘OK, I’m struggling on changeups; perhaps I can maintain my path somewhat bit longer.’ As soon as I acquired to Double-A, I actually began to have the ability to deal with them. I assault issues I can get higher at. I’m good at hitting fastballs up within the zone; that’s one thing I’ve labored on. I’m all the time discovering little issues to problem myself with.”
Laurila: Hitting is about timing, whatever the pitch. That in thoughts, what do you imply by “maintain my path somewhat bit longer” on changeups?
Holliday: “A variety of it has to do together with your entrance aspect. Should you can maintain your entrance aspect lengthy sufficient you may keep on changeups. You don’t roll them over. In case your entrance aspect opens, your again runs out of room and also you roll them over. Simply with the ability to maintain that path going via helps me keep on changeups and offspeed pitches. Even when I’m out entrance, I nonetheless have room to flip it over the shortstop’s head or drive it into the hole.”
Laurila: In considering center, are you extra making an attempt to let the ball journey, extra making an attempt to catch it out entrance, or is that one thing you attempt to keep away from fascinated with?
Holliday: “I strive to not assume an excessive amount of about my swing in the course of the recreation. That’s one thing that you are able to do within the cage — perhaps you may work on catching it out entrance somewhat bit extra, like on a cutter or a slider — however as soon as the sport begins it’s all about competing. I’m making an attempt to ensure my physique is in a superb place to do this.”
Laurila: Do you continue to discuss hitting together with your father?
Holliday: “Completely. He was a reasonably good hitter, so I belief him. He’s additionally identified my swing ever since I used to be somewhat child, so it’s very straightforward to speak to him about it. I feel he has a reasonably good grasp on good qualities for me.”
Laurila: How comparable are you as hitters?
Holliday: “The strategy is fairly comparable. Clearly, he’s lots larger than I’m and had somewhat extra thump. We’ve each acquired the leg kick. So there are similarities, however he was a special hitter than I’m.”
Laurila: Is hitting enjoyable?
Holliday: “It’s very tough, but it surely’s additionally in all probability probably the most rewarding… I imply, everytime you do sq. a ball up, or drive a ball within the hole, or go 4-for-4, it’s rewarding as a result of it’s so difficult. I inform folks on a regular basis how onerous hitting actually is. If you are able to do it within the main leagues, hats off to you. It’s positively probably the most tough factor to do in sports activities.”
Laurila: Any ultimate ideas?
Holliday: “My favourite swing proper now could be Corey Seager’s. That’s one thing that’s cool for me. I actually like to observe him hit. If I needed to mannequin my swing after anyone’s, it will be his.”
Laurila: How comparable is Seager’s swing to your personal?
Holliday: “I don’t know. It’s type of totally different, as a result of he’s lots larger than I’m, but when I may choose a swing to mimic, that will be it.”
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Earlier “Talks Hitting” interviews can discovered via these hyperlinks: Jo Adell, Jeff Albert, Greg Allen, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Bates, Jacob Berry, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Justice Bigbie, Cavan Biggio, Charlie Blackmon, JJ Bleday, Bobby Bradley, Will Brennan, Jay Bruce, Triston Casas, Matt Chapman, Michael Chavis, Garrett Cooper, Gavin Cross, Jacob Cruz, Nelson Cruz, Paul DeJong, Josh Donaldson, Brendan Donovan, Donnie Ecker, Rick Eckstein, Drew Ferguson, Justin Foscue, Michael Fransoso, Ryan Fuller, Joey Gallo, Paul Goldschmidt, Devlin Granberg, Andy Haines, Mitch Haniger, Robert Hassell III, Austin Hays, Nico Hoerner, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Jacob Hurtubise, Tim Hyers, Connor Joe, Jace Jung, Josh Jung, Jimmy Kerr, Heston Kjerstad, Steven Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Doug Latta, Royce Lewis, Evan Longoria, Michael Lorenzen, Gavin Lux, Dave Magadan, Trey Mancini, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Marcelo Mayer, Hunter Mense, Owen Miller, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Daniel Murphy, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Vinnie Pasquantino, Graham Pauley, Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Drew Saylor, Marcus Semien, Giancarlo Stanton, Spencer Steer, Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Mark Trumbo, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Josh VanMeter, Robert Van Scoyoc, Chris Valaika, Zac Veen, Alex Verdugo, Mark Vientos, Matt Vierling, Luke Voit, Anthony Volpe, Joey Votto, Christian Walker, Jared Walsh, Jordan Westburg, Jesse Winker, Bobby Witt Jr. Mike Yastrzemski, Nick Yorke, Kevin Youkilis.
