The St. Louis Cardinals pick fifth in the MLB Draft on Sunday night. It's the highest the Cardinals have selected in quite some time, and whoever they pick will likely jump near the top of their farm system almost immediately. The Cards are in a tough spot. As much as the front office wants to contend this season, they also need to rebuild their farm system on the fly. That is why Ethan Holliday, the son of former Cardinals star Matt Holliday, would be such a tremendous fit.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Holliday is projected to be a top-four selection, which would all but eliminate them from contention. Top prospects are bound to fall in any MLB Draft due to financial reasons alone. There is a slim chance that Holliday is on the board when the Cardinals select Sunday night.
Matt Holliday warns Cardinals fans that Ethan Holliday might be off the board
That being said, Holliday doesn't seem to believe Ethan will make it past his other former team, the Colorado Rockies.
"I would be surprised, candidly, if he got past four. I know the Rockies have shown major, major interest...I don't know if the Cardinals will get a shot at him but that would be pretty cool," Holliday admitted to FOX 2 in St. Louis. "You know, it's certainly a fluid situation as far was what's going to happen, but I know the Rockies are pretty high on him."
Holliday could go as high as No. 1 to the Washington Nationals, though they have been enamored with starting pitching of late. Many of the recent mock drafts project Washington to select Kade Anderson of the LSU Tigers in hopes of adding to their rotation sooner rather than later. The Nationals have enough position player talent at their disposal as is. Keith Law's latest mock draft projects Holliday to the Rockies, for example.
Why Ethan Holliday is considered a top draft prospect
Law believes that the Nationals recent change in leadership – in which they fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez – points to Washington selecting a starting pitcher at No. 1. Law also adds that if Holliday is available at No. 4, the Rockies would be willing to go over slot value for him.
Ethan is taller than his brother Jackson and offers even more power. To some pundits, he is the better overall prospect, even if he doesn't stick at shortstop. Ethan projects to be a closer carbon copy of his father, standing at 6-4 and over 200 pounds. Of course, he has plenty of room for development, and whatever position he plays will likely be up to the organization which drafts him.
Per MLB Pipeline, Holliday "already has plenty of strength and an easy left-handed swing with plenty of bat speed and leverage" and moves well for his size. Either way, his bat is enough to excite any interested team, and there is a reason he is the top-rated player on their board heading into the draft.
Unfortunately for St. Louis, it's looking more unlikely be the day that he is on the board when they select.