No. 1 overall pick Holliday connects on first homer

That didn't take long.

No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday hit his first professional home run Friday in the Florida Complex League to lead his FCL Orioles to a 7-1 win over the FCL Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader in Bradenton.

The homer -- a solo shot -- came in the final frame when the left-handed slugger drove a pitch from right-handed reliever Miguel Diaz out to right. Starting at shortstop and batting out of the second spot in the O’s lineup, Holliday finished 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored, on top of the dinger.

O’s SS prospect Jackson Holliday hits his 1st career Home Run against Pittsburgh. The deep blast went out to right field & gave his team the lead 7-1 #power #Birdland pic.twitter.com/VBfLo9tuoi

— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) August 19, 2022

It’s been a hot start to pro ball for the 18-year-old son of Matt Holliday. The Oklahoma native has picked up hits in each of his first five FCL games, going 6-for-15 (.400) with five walks and only one strikeout in that span. Friday’s fifth-inning double marked his first career extra-base hit, only for him to add another two frames later.

Baltimore selected Holliday, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Draft prospect, with the No. 1 overall pick last month and signed him to an $8.19 million bonus, the second-largest in Draft history.

His sweet left-handed swing could make him a plus hitter by the time he makes the Majors, and as he proved Friday, he has the strength and capability to show at least above-average power. Mix in plus speed and good defense from a premium position, and Holliday first cracked MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 at No. 14 this week. Only No. 2 Gunnar Henderson and No. 4 Grayson Rodriguez rank higher in a loaded Orioles system.