The Colorado Rockies received a warm roar of approval from fans at the 2025 MLB Draft when Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Ethan Holliday as the No. 4 overall pick.
For many in Colorado, this was more than just a draft selection — it was a nostalgic moment. Ethan, 18, is the youngest son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, a franchise icon who spent the first six years of his career in Denver and was beloved by the fan base.
Shortly after the announcement, old photos surfaced on social media — shared by both the Rockies and MLB — showing a young Ethan proudly wearing Rockies gear at Coors Field, long before his own professional dreams began to take shape.
Baseball has been part of Ethan’s life from the start. He grew up making regular trips to Coors Field, watching his father patrol left field. Now, he’ll have the chance to make his own mark on that same turf.
Matt Holliday’s own journey began when Colorado selected him in the seventh round of the 1998 draft. He went on to earn three of his six career All-Star nods as a Rockie, playing in Colorado from 2004–09 before returning for a final stint in 2018.
Ethan, a standout shortstop and third baseman from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma — the same school his father attended — put up jaw-dropping numbers in his senior season: 16 home runs, a 1.309 slugging percentage, and a reputation as one of the most exciting prep hitters in the country.
For Rockies fans, this pick feels like more than a roster move — it’s a family reunion, a homegrown story that’s been 18 years in the making.
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