Holliday on advice he got from home on trying to win roster spot (Hyde on guest coaches)

SARASOTA, Fla. – At age 20 Jackson Holliday, after just 145 minor league games and one full season on the farm, is trying to break north with the Orioles on the Opening Day roster.

He is under a spotlight in this camp at Ed Smith Stadium.

The kid has resources all around him, like a father in Matt Holliday who was a seven-time All-Star and World Series champion. What advice did the younger Holliday get on the home front before heading to Florida?

“Just take it easy. Try to enjoy it,” he says dad told him. “Whatever happens, happens, right? I think I’m in a really good spot, being 20 years old and in a position to make the team. Just enjoy it and have fun.

“And I have. These guys make it easy and fun in this locker room and enjoyable to come to the field every day.”

Holliday went 6-for-14 last spring and is 4-for-17 this spring batting .235/.278/.412/.690 in six games with a double, a triple and one RBI. He has one two-hit game - last Thursday versus Pittsburgh.

And he admits he has spent time checking his stats down here even as he works on the process of hitting too, trying to make improvements and adjustments and work on things that might not immediately show up in more hits.

“I am someone who cares about that (his batting average) probably more than I should,” Holliday said. “Just being able to control what you control (is important). If you have a good at-bat and it doesn’t end how you like it, hey you learned something. That is how I’m approaching it. Gotten more experience with big league guys now and excited with how I feel. I have had some good at-bats that I’m happy with and looking more toward the positive. Would like a little bit more success, but you can only control what you can.”

Holliday is 4-for-11 against right-handed pitching and 0-6 against lefties in the small sample of spring games to date.

“Some of my at-bats versus righties have been good. Part of taking an offseason off of no live at-bats, is it takes a little bit. Lefties are giving me a bit of problem right now. I’m working on it. Excited to continue to play and continue to learn,” said Holliday who said he never takes live at-bats over the winter, just batting practice and cage work.

After not playing yesterday, it seems likely Holliday is on the trip today to Clearwater for the game with the Phillies as the No. 1 prospect in baseball continues to pursue an O’s roster spot.

Hyde on guest coaches: He is still a familiar face in the Orioles clubhouse and attracts attention even when he walks through the room during a sleepy Sunday morning in Sarasota.

Adam Jones, who last played for the Orioles in 2018, is here as a guest instructor in camp. His first day or as he called it “first day of school” was Saturday and he was greeting fans and signing autographs before the game.

Acquired from Seattle in the Erik Bedard trade of February 2008, Jones had a quite a run in the orange and black.

Last September he signed a one-day ceremonial contract to officially retire as an Oriole. He played in 1,613 games for the club over 11 seasons. And is ranked fourth all-time on the club’s career hits list. He is fifth in homers, runs and RBIs. He ranks among the best to ever play for the Orioles. 

Jones wanted to be on the field every day when he was here, and manager Brandon Hyde was asked if that desire to always be on the field could be noted by his current clubhouse?

“I think it’s great to have players that want to do that,” Hyde said. “I have a ton of respect for guys that have the ability or are able to do that. But that’s not a goal of mine going into the season. Try to keep the guys as rested as possible and fresh as possible throughout the year. That was a big part of our success last year. We stayed as healthy as we could, especially from the hitting side. You want guys to want to be out there every day, but you are trying to balance a lot of things when the season starts.”

With the Orioles, Jones was a five-time All-Star, six-time Heart and Hustle Award nominee, four-time Gold Glove Award winner, three-time Most Valuable Oriole, and a 2013 Silver Slugger.

Manager Brandon Hyde has been enjoying the guest instructors and the insights they can provide to players this camp. Scott McGregor, Brian Roberts, J.J. Hardy and MASN’s Ben McDonald have already been in camp as instructors.

“It’s been great,” said Hyde. “Robby Chirinos is also here right now, Eddie Murray is here too. So, to have our players rub shoulders with an old teammate – lot of these guys played with Robby – as well as one of the best players of all-time it’s incredible for these guys to pick their brains and have casual conversations.”

Former O’s catcher Matt Wieters will be in camp for four days beginning today.

Mullins leaves as precaution: The Orioles appeared to have dodged a bullet yesterday when center fielder Cedric Mullins left the game in the first inning due to right hamstring discomfort. Manager Brandon Hyde said he came out as a precaution, no MRI was needed and that, "I don't think any of us are alarmed by it. Just one of those day-to-day things right now."

Mullins was limited to 116 games last year by two trips to the injured list with a right groin strain. The Orioles should have a further update today on Mullins.