The Colorado Rockies are keeping it in the family as they have snagged their top option with the fourth overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft selecting shortstop Ethan Holliday from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma.

Holliday was widely regarded as the top prospect available entering the draft will follow in the footsteps of his father, Rockies legend and seven-time all-star Matt Holliday. He is also the brother of former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday, who was selected first overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022.

Scouting analysis concludes that Holliday is built much more like his father than he is his brother and stands at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds with no shortage of strength and physicality. He has been regarded as having a smooth left-handed swing with a keen eye of the strike zone being able to use all fields when making contact. Despite some swing-and-miss tendencies, particularly on fastballs up in the zone, reports indicate that his vision, bat skill, and power potential make up for the whiffs. He’s also expected to develop to be able to fight those fastballs as time goes on.

The power potential is perhaps the most enticing aspect of his game. His father clubbed 316 career home runs, including 130 with the Rockies, and Ethan is viewed as a regular 30-homer threat. His ability to generate quality contact and use all fields bodes well for a player who will call Coors Field home.

While Holliday was drafted as a shortstop, with arm strength that profiles well, he could also see his future transition to playing third base. His large frame will likely size him out of the shortstop position but he could easily find a home at the hot corner, first base, or even play the outfield as some scouts have projected.

There was some tension as to whether or not the Rockies would be able to snag Holliday. Having dropped to fourth overall in the lottery, all corners of the baseball world were wondering if the Nationals would select Holliday first overall. But Washington, under recently hired general manager Mike DeBartolo, took Eli Willits – a different Oklahoma high school shortstop, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School.

The next two picks were collegiate pitchers with the Los Angeles Angels taking UC Santa Barbara righty Tyler Bremner second overall, followed by the Seattle Mariners taking LSU lefty Kade Anderson.

The Rockies hoped to get Holliday all along thanks to the familial connection, but also the hitter profile. With a big frame that is certain to get burlier, Holliday is a spitting image of the player who was a key figure in Colorado’s 2007 run to the World Series.  In his senior year at Stillwater, Ethan hit .617 with a 1.309 slugging percentage and 16 home runs in 32 games.