The potential to watch two future stars squaring off against each other is always enticing, no matter the sport.
To enjoy a showdown of the last two No. 1 overall picks in the MLB Draft can not only give us a nice present battle, but a glimpse of a future war between two supremely talented kids.
As the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in their Thursday spring training game in Sarasota, Florida, 2022 No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday got the chance to face 2023 No. 1 pick, Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes.
“Jackson Holliday said he’s batting leadoff in today’s #Orioles lineup. Holliday vs. Skenes will open the bottom of the 1st inning in Sarasota,” Orioles insider Jake Rill tweeted before the game.
Jackson Holliday said he’s batting leadoff in today’s #Orioles lineup.
Holliday vs. Skenes will open the bottom of the 1st inning in Sarasota. https://t.co/gBpiQGUdDf
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) February 29, 2024
The much-anticipated at-bat already took place at the time of writing this article: Skenes retired Holliday, so he took the first round in a battle that will surely last for years, hopefully a couple of decades.
The Pirates, needing pitching to aid their blossoming contention window, decided to pass on Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, and other potentially franchise-changing position players to take Skenes, the best pitcher in the draft.
He pitched 6.2 innings last year between the Complex League, Single-A, and Double-A, and 2024 will be his first real test.
Holliday, on the other hand, was the darling of the 2022 draft.
The O’s took a contact-first on-base machine who could develop 20-homer power eventually.
So far, Holliday (the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday) has breezed through the minor leagues and already aced every level through Double-A, and he was a bit above-average in Triple-A as a 20-year old thanks to his .267/.396/.400 line in 18 games there.
He might very well win a spot on the O’s Opening Day roster.
These two can be the faces of the league in as little as a year or two.
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