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Craig Albernaz Has High Praise for Jeremiah Jackson Amid Solid Start
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- Craig Albernaz Has High Praise for Jeremiah Jackson Amid Solid Start
(© Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)
Jackson has been a fun find.
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson has quietly become one of the most dependable players on the roster this season.
The 26-year-old, who made his MLB debut last August after signing a minor-league deal the previous November, opened 2026 as a feel-good story and has kept delivering at every turn, even as his role has changed.
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On Saturday afternoon in Toronto , the Orioles fell to the Blue Jays 6-4 to drop to 31-34 on the season.
Baltimore sits third in the AL East and has struggled to find consistency for long stretches, but Jackson continued to do exactly what his team has asked of him.
Coming off the bench as a pinch hitter, he worked a quality at-bat and came through with a single, one night after doing the same thing on Friday when he drove in Adley Rutschman with a clutch pinch-hit single of his own.
What Albernaz Had to Say
After Saturday's game, manager Craig Albernaz had nothing but good things to say about Jackson's approach off the bench.
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"JJ is always ready," Albernaz said. "Obviously his playing time has not been what he wanted, and he's been outstanding with it, just always being prepared, total pro, great teammate. He was ready when his name was called… He was ready to hit from the first pitch in his first at-bat and did a great job of getting deep in the count, laying off some tough pitches, and delivering another single."
Why Jackson Has Been Crucial
The comments mean a little more because of the path Jackson has taken this season.
He opened the year as Baltimore's everyday second baseman while Jackson Holliday recovered from a fractured right hand, and he took off from the jump.
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Through his first 20 games, Jackson was hitting .303 with five home runs and 17 RBI, quickly becoming one of the team's most productive hitters and drawing real attention as a potential long-term piece in the lineup.
His numbers have cooled since that hot start, and Holliday's return bumped him into more of a utility and bench role.
That kind of shift can mess with a player's rhythm, but Albernaz's praise tells you Jackson has handled it as well as anyone in the clubhouse could.
The manager has been open about how he has balanced the two since Holliday came back , and Jackson's willingness to stay locked in has made a tricky roster situation a lot easier to manage.
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What stands out most about Jackson is that none of this was supposed to happen.
He spent four straight years at Double-A before finally reaching the big leagues last August, when he hit .276 with five homers over 48 games to close out 2025.
The Orioles brought him to camp as a depth option, not a starter, but he played his way into real opportunities and keeps earning trust every time he steps in the box.
For a team sitting four games under .500, that kind of readiness off the bench can be the difference between a close loss and a comeback win.
