What is Jackson Holliday's salary? Exploring details around top prospect's current contract with Orioles

Jackson Holliday only recently made his debut, but that makes him a professional athlete.

The MLB's number one prospect is a tantalizing talent, but baseball contracts are unique in how they're structured and how they play out. That means his current contract is perhaps not indicative of how much the team likes him or his performance level.

That's because as things stand, Jackson Holliday's salary is just $740,000, which is largely consistent with all rookies. When they come up, they don't make a whole lot of money comparatively. For example, aging veterans who sign to be backups are often signed for a decent amount more than a top rookie is under contract for.

That's not because the Baltimore Orioles don't believe in Holliday. In fact, the opposite is true, as he's only 20 and already up despite the team having the ability to stash him in the minors and accumulate more service time.

That's just how rookie contracts work, and each one is a bit like a one-year deal. They come together every offseason until his service time is up to agree on a new salary. If they can't agree, they go to arbitration.

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What might Jackson Holliday's future contract be like?

Jackson Holliday could make a lot of money.

Given that Jackson Holliday is just 20 and already a budding star and a key part of last year's best team in the American League, it's safe to assume that he will play very well over the course of his career and earn a nice contract eventually.

There's also a very strong chance that the Orioles sign him before he reaches free agency. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers signed top prospects before they'd even made the big leagues, and the Orioles might be wise to lock him up for a long time before he starts playing really well.

These contracts usually last a long time. Mega contracts are super common these days, especially for young players. For example, after two MLB seasons, the Kansas City Royals inked Bobby Witt Jr. for up to 14 seasons.

So for Holliday, the Orioles might, in a couple of seasons, sign him to a 12-year, $260 million deal. It all depends on how he plays, though. No prospect is a sure thing, either, so this might all be moot.