When the Orioles last had the MLB draft’s first pick, they selected a player viewed as the top prospect available and one who became a guiding force in their rebuild in catcher Adley Rutschman.
In taking Oklahoma high school shortstop Jackson Holliday in that spot three years later Sunday night, Baltimore passed on this year’s perceived top player but got the one they see as that, with the organization believing it got a player who can be just as much of a difference-maker as Rutschman, regardless.
“It’s hard to explain what it means,” Holliday said. “It’s like a video game, honestly, Every video game you play, you’re the first pick, so that’s kind of what it felt like.