Rockies' Ethan Holliday coup comes with hidden edge Colorado can't ignore

Amid a season in which essentially everything has gone wrong, Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft went very, very right for the Colorado Rockies on Sunday night. The Washington Nationals' shocking decision to take prep shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick turned the board on its head, allowing infielder Ethan Holliday — Jackson's younger brother, whom many scouts and analysts had as the most talented player in the entire draft — to fall into Colorado's lap at No. 4. The Rockies made no secret of just how badly they wanted Holliday in the run up to the draft, and with a little help from the baseball gods, they got their man.

But the good news didn't stop there. As you may recall, Holliday's dad, Matt, blossomed into an MLB All-Star with the Rockies back in the day and remains a beloved figure in the history of the franchise. And in an interview with reporters after Ethan was drafted on Sunday night, he made clear that he'd love to get more involved with the team moving forward.

"I have a lot of friends that are still there," Matt Holliday said, after he was asked whether he had any interest in a role as a coach or in the front office. "I'm happy to be as involved or in the background as they would like for me to be."

At this point, it's anyone's guess as to how decisions get made in Colorado; this has been the most hopelessly dysfunctional team in the sport for years now, and in the midst of a historically awful season, that shows no sign of slowing up any time soon. But even the Rockies would be crazy not to pass this opportunity up.

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Rockies have no reason not to take Matt Holliday up on his offer

Holliday has had limited coaching experience since he retired from the Majors after the 2018 season. After a stint as outfield and hitting coach under his brother Josh at Oklahoma State, he agreed to serve as the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals following the 2022 season — only to abruptly resign in January of 2023, citing a desire to stay home with his family in Stillwater, Okla. Great players don't always make great coaches or executives, and Holliday will have to prove he's up for the job.

That said, his resume does speak for itself. A seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger, he was among the best all-around hitters of his generation, a true professional in the batter's box. You'd think that expertise would come in handy for a Rockies organization that's had a miserable time trying to develop homegrown talent of late, whether on the mound or at the plate. At this point, they should take all the help they can get.

But more significantly than even his on-field contributions, Holliday would be a massive PR win for Colorado at a time when they desperately need one. Attendance at Coors Field will always be strong for as long as Coors Field remains a lovely place to enjoy a beer in the middle of summer, but a deeper apathy has set in around this team in its decade-plus in the wilderness. What the Rockies need as much as anything is a return to relevance, a reason for everyone to remember that they exist. We're not advocating that they go full carnival barker, but if a former big-league star and beloved franchise icon — who just so happens to be the father of two former top-five picks, including your new top prospect — actually wants to be associated with you, you can't afford to pass that up.