Jackson Holliday will be wearing a jersey number that is very important to the Baltimore Orioles when he makes his MLB debut on Wednesday night, and the star prospect sought permission first.
The Orioles announced on Wednesday that the have officially called up Holliday from Triple-A Norfolk. Holliday will wear No. 7, which is the same number O’s legend Cal Ripken Sr. wore as a player and manager for the franchise for more than 35 years. The last player to wear No. 7 in Baltimore was Billy Ripken in 1988 before the number was unofficially retired when Cal Sr. died in 1999.
Billy Ripken currently works as an analyst for MLB Network. He revealed on Wednesday morning that the Holliday family reached out to the Ripken family for their blessing before Jackson decided to wear No. 7 with the Orioles.
“I can’t think of a better way to honor Senior,” Billy said.
Jackson Holliday will wear number 7 for #Orioles.
7 hasn’t been worn since former manager/coach Cal Ripken Sr wore it.
Bill Ripken just now on #MLBCentral said Holliday family reached out to the Ripkens about wearing 7.
“I can’t think of a better way to honor Senior” #Birdland— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) April 10, 2024
Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., who is Cal Sr.’s son and Billy’s brother, said the Ripken family is “thrilled” that Holliday will be wearing No. 7.
“Our family is thrilled that @J_Holliday7 will be wearing dad’s #7 … Excited to watch him play!” the Orioles part-owner wrote on X.
Our family is thrilled that @J_Holliday7 will be wearing dad's #7 … Excited to watch him play!
— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) April 10, 2024
Matt Holliday, Jackson’s father, also wore No. 7 at two different points during his All-Star MLB career.
Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and is widely regarded as the best prospect in all of baseball. He can play both middle infield positions and torched major-league pitching in the spring, hitting .311 with a .954 OPS (including two homers, six RBIs, six runs scored, and two stolen bases in 15 games).
Some players were openly annoyed that the Orioles left Holliday in the minors to start the season. The 20-year-old responded by blasting a monster homer in his very first at-bat of the year and posting a .342/.490/.605 slash line over nine games at AAA Norfolk.
Holliday knows he is going to face tremendous pressure to be a star at the MLB level, but he seems more than ready to embrace it. He should feel an even greater sense of responsibility while wearing a jersey number that means so much to the Orioles.
