Alex Bregman Sends Ethan Holliday Message Amid Criticism

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 12:20 PM ET

Colorado Rockies shortstop prospect Ethan Holliday is one of the top young players in all of baseball. He is ranked No. 24 among all prospects and No. 10 among shortstops in Major League Baseball, according to MLB.com.

Holliday, the son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and younger brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, was taken fourth overall by the Rockies in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Tucson, Arizona, native turned 19 years old Monday after an up-and-down season in the Single-A California League. He slashed .239/.357/.380 with a .737 OPS in 18 games, hitting two home runs with six RBIs. Holliday struck out 33 times while drawing 12 walks.

Ethan Holliday is drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the fourth pick of the MLB Draft.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Holliday was committed to play baseball with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but he decided to forgo his college years to play professionally.

Before he was drafted, during his senior year at Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, Holliday batted an unbelievable .617 with an OPS of 2.046, blasting 16 homers with 51 RBIs in 32 games, per MaxPreps.

A recent clip from Baseball America's Instagram criticized Holliday for his play in the California League.

"Ethan Holliday's draft stock was not as high as maybe it was built, even internally," he said. "There were major question marks around the hit tool dating back to when he was a high school junior. There was always swing-and-miss here. He's not twitchy or athletic."

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This criticism brought in a host of comments from current major leaguers defending Holliday. One of these was from Chicago Cubs star third baseman Alex Bregman.

"‍♂️ He will be just fine!" Bregman said.

Bregman is a great person for Holliday to have in his corner. In 10 years in the majors, Bregman has made three All-Star Games, including an MVP performance in 2018, and won a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and two World Series titles. Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million deal to join the Cubs this offseason.

At just 19, it will be interesting to see how Holliday does this year in the minor leagues.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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