Hyde praised top stars dedication and early arrival at camp, highlighting the second baseman’s work ethic and development. Despite struggling at the plate in his rookie season, hitting just .190 over 60 games, he appears committed to improving in 2025.
In an interview with Foul Territory, Hyde shared his thoughts on his progress, noting the young infielder’s growth and potential heading into the season.
Hyde noted that he carried over the adjustments he worked on at the end of last season, which was encouraging to see in person. Despite his overall struggles at the plate, Holliday ended the year on a high note, hitting .388 (7-for-18) over his final eight games.
The Orioles are focusing on his quality of at-bats and defensive improvement at second base, a position he had to learn at the big-league level as a 20-year-old. Hyde believes Holliday looks more comfortable now and is no longer pressing to impress, instead just playing his game.
Holliday wasn’t alone in arriving early, as fellow young hitters Heston Kjerstad and Samuel Basallo also reported to camp ahead of schedule.
Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday continues to adjust to second base
Holliday is embracing his transition to second base, emphasizing the importance of being “crisp and sharp” in the field. He’s been focusing on making clean, direct plays and improving his double-play feeds to Gunnar Henderson, aiming to get the ball to him as quickly as possible.
Hyde reiterated that Holliday looks more comfortable this spring, benefitting from a full offseason to refine his skills at second base. The transition wasn’t easy last year, as he had to adjust on the fly, but the extra preparation time seems to be paying off.
Holliday made his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday, going 0-for-2 with a run scored in Baltimore’s 10-5 loss to Pittsburgh. While the results weren’t there at the plate, his development throughout spring training will be more important than any single stat line.