Jeremiah Jackson needs to play every day next season in Baltimore.
New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is taking over the helm for a young team that regressed last year. His first act as manager should be to give Jeremiah Jackson more playing time. Through all the unknowns, Jackson can help Albernaz steer the ship in the beginning of his tenure.
Jackson only played in 48 games but he did produce good numbers with his time in the big leagues. He finished the season with a .276/.328/.447 slash line and an .775 OPS. He also did all of this with 183 plate appearances showing his ability to perform with limited opportunities.
Starting the year in Double-A, Jackson’s numbers were average, hitting below .260 with four home runs and 189 plate appearances. He was eventually elevated to Triple-A where he took off. He finished Triple-A with a .377/.400/.673 slash line and a 1.073 OPS. His performance earned him playing time on an underachieving team. Like Jackson, Dylan Beavers, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad Jackson were among the few young players the organization gave playing time to as a form of tryouts for next season.
The 25-year-old was a baseball prodigy but he still had to fight to get to the big leagues. Named as Alabama’s Mr. Baseball in 2018 as a senior, he committed to play for Mississippi State. Instead of attending college he decided to play professionally and was selected 57th overall by the Angels. He stayed in the Angels organization until 2023 when he was traded to the Mets for Dominic Leone.
He played for the organization’s Double-A team, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, until he elected free agency in 2024. He signed a minor league deal with the Orioles the following season, where he has worked hard to earn a spot among the other big leaguers.
His tenacity and hard work is a representation of how he plays. Jackson isn’t the biggest, fastest or most powerful player but he is an asset to a young team and has plenty of baseball experience.
The young Oriole can also play multiple positions. While in the minor leagues, he has played second base, shortstop, third base and all of the outfield. During his time with the Orioles, he has played mostly right field and a little bit of third base showing a willingness to play anywhere. His ability to play multiple positions can help Albernaz choose his defensive positioning and keep the team at its best.
Jackson is also an asset to the Orioles offensively due to his fastball – breaking ball splits. This year he hit .347 against breaking balls in comparison to .256. While he faced 119 more fastballs than breaking balls, the league has been steering towards more breaking balls. Pitchers have been throwing more sweepers and sliders in the last five years. Jackson does need to improve his hitting in the fastball department but that will come with steady development and more at-bats.
Jackson can be a player the Orioles use for years to come if they choose to make that decision. Signed to a one-year, $820,000 deal, he can be a cheap but promising answer. The Orioles have an outfield with issues and Jackson can be the steady answer.
