The early portion of 2024 spring training has already seen a number of intriguing storylines, such as Shohei Ohtani hitting a home run in his Los Angeles Dodgers debut. The next big storyline will be two of MLB's top prospects and each of the No. 1 picks from the past two drafts squaring off on Thursday. Baltimore Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday will be in the team's lineup Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates as Paul Skenes takes the mound for Pittsburgh, via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Jackson Holliday vs. Paul Skenes in spring training
Both Holliday and Skenes have outside chances of making the big league roster out of spring training. Holliday, the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday, was the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Skenes, an LSU product, was selected first overall in 2023 by the Pirates.
Holliday, who can play shortstop or second base, is the top prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. Skenes, meanwhile, is third overall as Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers is second.
Regardless of whether or not Skenes and Holliday make their team's Opening Day rosters, there is no question that they represent the future. Both players feature the talent and potential to become elite superstars at the big league level.
Thursday's game is scheduled for 1:05 PM EST in Sarasota, Florida, where the Orioles host their spring training games. Skenes will be in for a challenge as former Cy Young winner and three-time All-Star Corbin Burnes is expected to pitch for the O's.
It should be noted that Skenes and Holliday are not guaranteed to square off. In spring training, pitchers often throw one or two innings in their first outings. So if Holliday bats in the bottom part of the lineup and Skenes is removed early then the dream prospect battle will not come to fruition.
However, everyone is hoping that Holliday and Skenes will indeed face one another. Perhaps Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will insert Holliday in the top part of the lineup to make sure the matchup happens.
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