Frustrated Jackson Holliday is proof the Orioles are playing with fire

Baltimore Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday received just 35 at-bats, recording two hits and striking out 18 times. The 20-year-old Holliday was rushed to the big leagues amid fan pressure that he ought to have made the roster out of spring training. Oh, how wrong those fans were.

The gap between facing minor-league pitching to everyday big leaguers is as wide as its ever been. Holliday, and many like him, have found this out the hard way, including several current Orioles stars. Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and more all struggled in their first big-league experiences. Adley slashed .210/.296/.389 in 44 games and struck out far too often. Henderson was 5-for-34 with 17 strikeouts.

Holliday has taken the subsequent demotion in stride, but it's a frustrating experience for a player who isn't used to setbacks, especially not at the plate. The former No. 1 overall pick has been very open about that, as he suffered an arm injury in the minor leages as well.

"To have that taste of the big leagues and want to be back up there so badly," Holliday said, "then to have something to happen to my arm it's definitely a little bit frustrating."

Frustrated Jackson Holliday tries to stay grounded in Norfolk

Holliday is trying to "stay grounded," but after getting a taste of the show, all he wants is to get back to Baltimore, rather than wasting time in Norfolk.

"When I think about it, I only had 35 at bats in the big leagues, so in the grand scheme of things it's less than a week (in Norfolk)," Holliday said. "So it's hard to kind of grasp in that department."

Holliday called the start to his season "chaotic," given he played just a few games in Norfolk, was called up to Baltimore and then sent right back down upon his on-field struggles.

Jackson Holliday will be fine, but Orioles are playing with fire

Holliday will more than likely be fine, as he's the son of a former MLB All-Star and has all the tools to be a successful big leaguer. However, if he were less gifted, Baltimore and Mike Elias would be at risk of ruining his confidence before his first season in the big leagues. Heck, Elias even commented on a possible trade involving Holliday, even if to say it's unrealistic.

"It's a tough one to trade," Elias said, according to MASN's Melanie Newman. "He's the No. 1 prospect in minor league baseball. This is a hard talent to get your hands on. We have him, we've been developing him, and we've got very high hopes for him. He's exceptionally far ahead of anyone in his age group, so it's not something we're going to be eager to explore."

Just...why? Why is any of this necessary?

Elias and the Orioles have a development plan in place for Holliday. If his brief, unsuccessful cameo earlier this season taught Baltimore anything, it's to stick to the plan. Prospects are fragile, especially as it pertains to confidence. Holliday already has the weight of the baseball world on his shoulders. It'd be best for Elias not to make matters worse.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Frustrated Jackson Holliday is proof the Orioles are playing with fire.