Ethan Holliday is in contention to be the first overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. Meanwhile, two of the teams his father, Matt Holliday, represented are set to pick fourth and fifth, respectively. Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals fans alike hope to see the family legacy continue, though the Washington Nationals could play spoiler.
Recent intel suggests the Nationals have whittled down their options to Holliday or LSU left-hander Kade Anderson at No. 1. The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners are reportedly expected to take pitchers, enabling Ethan to fall to Colorado or St. Louis. And by the sound of Matt's recent comments, there seems to be excitement about the possibility of landing specifically with the Rockies.
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Matt Holliday sure sounds thrilled about potential Ethan-Rockies parternship
Matt all but confirmed that the Cardinals won't have a shot at his namesake, because Colorado's ostensibly infatuated with him. The Rockies have shown "major, major interest" in and are "pretty high on" Ethan, so much so that it'd be a "[surprise]" if they passed up on him.
While Matt notes that the situation remains "fluid," Colorado seems poised to add Ethan if given the chance. However, there's no resistance to the idea. Instead, the former's declaration has a more optimistic tone, which is reassuring for a cellar-dwelling Rockies organization with a bleak long-term outlook.
There's always concerns about high school players turning teams down in the draft, and the Rockies have been historically bad this season. While there's some young talent on the 40-man roster, their middling farm system highlights that this may be a lengthy rebuild. It'd be hard to fault Ethan for avoiding the situation entirely and honoring his college commitment to Oklahoma State.
Nonetheless, rather than running from the challenge, Matt's remarks might be a sign that Ethan is prepared to take the challenge head-on. The Rox are in the top half of the Majors in attendance despite pacing to finish with one of the worst records in league history. It speaks to how dedicated the fans are and their hunger to see Colorado right the ship. The 2024-25 Gatorade Oklahoma Baseball Player has an opportunity to be a massive part of a turnaround.