Jackson Holliday vs. Jackson Chourio: Orioles, Brewers Series Features MLB's Top Prospects

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While perhaps not quite as rare as the total solar eclipse that began this week, we’ll end it with something fairly unusual: baseball’s two best prospects facing each other in the big leagues.

The Orioles (8-4) host the Brewers (8-3) Friday night at Camden Yards. That sets the stage for baseball’s No. 1 prospect, Jackson Holliday, to make his home debut against baseball’s No. 2 prospect, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio.

In addition to being baseball’s two best prospects, the 20-year-olds are also baseball’s two youngest players. Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (yes, another Jackson) is the third youngest. Yes, the Jackson Era is officially upon us.

Both Holliday and Chourio are Rookie of the Year candidates and squarely at the forefront of a deep class. Here’s how each has fared so far in their limited big league sample size.

Jackson Holliday

Holliday made his big league debut on Wednesday and still seeks his first big league hit. He’s 0-for-8 so far, but has scored a pair of runs and notched his first RBI in his debut, a 7-5 Orioles win. A shortstop in the minors, Holliday is settling into second base in Baltimore.

Jackson Holliday Preseason Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Holliday’s elite offensive skill set showed as he climbed to Triple-A as a 19-year-old, with a plus-plus hit tool and at least plus plate discipline. Those qualities allow him to control the strike zone and make consistent, high-quality contact. After a fair share of weak fly outs in his 2022 pro debut, Holliday sharpened his ball flight to more consistently hit crisp line drives to all fields in 2023.

Holliday had a 45.5% hard-hit rate, up from 34.6% in his pro debut, while increasing his 90th percentile exit velocity from 99.4 mph to 102.5. His continued physical maturation could help him develop above-average power, but if not he will be a doubles machine because of the quality of his contact. He has demonstrated an ability to backspin the ball and give it extra carry. The Orioles were impressed with the way he tapped into his pull-side power as the season went on, and Holliday didn’t sacrifice his all-fields approach to get to that.

A gifted athlete who demonstrates the instincts of a baseball lifer both on and off the field, Holliday is loose and fluid at shortstop with the potential to be at least a plus shortstop and potentially a plus-plus second baseman, should the Orioles’ infield situation call for such a move. He’s a quick study defensively, can play one-handed, and has an advanced clock that means he doesn’t rush throws and often delivers them on time and on target. Holliday is a plus runner who was successful on 24 of 33 stolen base attempts in 2023 and shows good instincts on the basepaths. He also has elite makeup, handling the pressures of his prospect status and expectations as well as anyone the Orioles have had in that position.

To see Holliday’s full scouting report plus the Top 30 prospects in Baltimore’s system, click here.

Jackson Chourio

Chourio is hitting .282/.326/.462 with a pair of homers through 10 games while manning right field for the Brewers. He’s also stolen a pair of bases. He isn’t hitting the ball with overwhelming oomph so far—and he’s struck out 13 times to three walks in 43 plate appearances—but his speed and defense have made an instant impact.

While Holliday ultimately overtook Chourio in our Top 100, the Brewers outfielder did once rank as baseball’s No. 1 prospect. After signing an eight-year, $82 million contract in the offseason, Chourio looks like the future face of Milwaukee’s franchise.

Jackson Chourio Preseason Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Hitters in the Double-A Southern League were at a disadvantage in the first half, when MLB experimented with a pre-tacked ball that led to more extreme pitch movements and higher whiff rates. Through July 6, Chourio hit .239/.304/.410 with 11 home runs in 71 games with a 7% walk rate and 21% strikeout rate. After that—when the Southern League reverted to the traditional baseball—Chourio hit .323/.380/.544 in 51 games with 11 home runs, an 8% walk rate and a 14% strikeout rate before a mid-September promotion to Triple-A Nashville. How much of those splits were because of the baseball itself or a 19-year-old making adjustments and getting more comfortable during the season was a wide topic of discussion inside and outside the organization.

What’s clear is that Chourio is an electric talent with standout tools and skills at a premium position. His explosiveness is evident in his bat speed, which helps him drive the ball out to any part of the park. He has plus-plus raw power and is content letting the ball travel deep and hammering the ball to right-center field, with more than half of his home runs going to center or right field. Chourio is a good hitter who doesn’t swing and miss much at pitches in the strike zone, though he will need to tighten up his plate discipline. He’s not a free-swinger, and he did chase less as the season progressed, but continued improvement with his swing decisions will be critical for him to achieve his potential.

A plus-plus runner, Chourio has the speed, acceleration and lateral range to be an above-average defender in center field. He’s still learning to finish plays at the wall consistently, but his reads and routes have all improved since getting more full-time reps in center field. Chourio had an issue with his right elbow as an amateur and has a fringe-average arm that is his lightest tool.

To see Chourio’s full scouting report plus the Top 30 prospects in Milwaukee’s system, click here.