Jeremiah Jackson made his major league debut the day after the Orioles traded Cedric Mullins to the Mets. The trade deadline marked the unofficial end to a season that was lost over the first two months. Any fans still tuning into MASN or MASN2 (RIP) on a given night were left looking for fun stories and surprise candidates to help the team in 2026 and beyond.
Enter Jackson—a 25-year-old looking to finally break into the big leagues after being selected by the Angels in the second round of the 2018 MLB draft. The Orioles signed Jackson as a minor-league free agent prior to the start of last season.
Jackson had never exceeded Double-A during his time with Los Angeles or a stint in the Mets’ organization. The former Mobile, Alabama resident slashed .254/.291/.412 over the first two months with Chesapeake, but he became a star of Camden Chat’s minor league recaps once he reached Triple-A.
Jackson slashed .377/.400/.673 with 11 homers and 22 RBIs over 40 games with Norfolk. The same guy that hit a measly .205/.245/.373 over 122 games at Double-A the year prior now featured an OPS over 1.000.
Baltimore’s front office took notice. With plenty of holes to plug, the Orioles recalled Jackson and cut him loose. The team had room in the lineup without guys like Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn, but Jackson arrived without a default position.
Jackson had made 12 appearances at second, 50 at shortstop, 13 at third, two in left field, and one in right between Chesapeake and Norfolk. Shortstop was out of the question with Gunnar Henderson on the roster, and Jackson Holliday wasn’t going to be displaced at second base. Jordan Westburg needed to start at either second or third.
Jackson spent a majority of August playing right field, but third base opened up when Westburg sprained his ankle. At the end of the year, Jackson had 34 major league appearances in right, 13 at third and one game at second base.
The rookie brought his hot bat to the big leagues and slashed .276/.328/.447 over 170 at bats. He went deep five times, drove in 21, and scored 20. With those numbers and an infielder/outfielder position, Jackson immediately emerged as the leading candidate for Baltimore’s “utility” position in 2026.
Jackson made for a tremendous story, and he’ll hold value as long as he continues to swing like that. But there’s one elephant in the room here—is Jackson really a “utility man?”
A utility infielder traditionally possess the ability to play shortstop, and a utility outfielder must play a respectable center field. Jackson has never played either of those positions at the major league level.
Jackson played plenty of shortstop in the minors, but would new skipper Craig Albernaz trust him in big league action? Holliday could play the position with Westburg sliding over to second if Henderson needed a breather.
The Orioles could definitely use another bench option in center field behind Colton Cowser, but Jackson hasn’t played the position since logging 14 games at Double-A in 2023. The Orioles roster is filled with corner outfielders, and it remains to be seen whether Baltimore would trust Dylan Beavers to play up the middle. If not, Leody Taveras appears to be the favorite while Enrique Bradfield Jr. gets at bats at Triple-A.
Jackson exceeded his rookie limits last season, but he still holds three minor-league options. The Orioles could send Jackson to Norfolk to hone his defensive skills. Bradfield Jr. doesn’t need the defensive reps, and the organization routinely bounces players around the infield in the minors.
Baltimore’s lineup possesses significant fire power at full strength. Pete Alonso adds even more power potential to Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle at first base, while Henderson, Westburg and Holliday all feature All-Star potential. The outfield corners are littered with guys like Beavers, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill and maybe even a healthy Heston Kjerstad.
This team needs a utility player that it can trust on the defensive side of the ball. The Birds will have Jackson’s defense under a microscope in Sarasota. If he passes the eye test, he could head north with a roster spot. If not, he’ll qualify as valuable offensive depth for injury-prone guys like Westburg and O’Neill.
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