Ethan Holliday is drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the fourth pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy on July 13. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ethan Holliday Selection Breaks Lengthy MLB Draft Drought For Colorado Rockies

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 3:02 PM ET

The Colorado Rockies selected Stillwater (Okla.) high school shortstop Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday night. For both the franchise, and Holliday, it was a special selection, as his father Matt, previously starred for the organization.

It also broke an odd drought in Rockies history, per Pramana Labs on social media:

Ethan Holliday is the first SS of any level the Rockies have taken in the first 100 picks since Terrin Vavra at 96 in 2018. That was the longest first 100 pick SS drought of any team.

Ethan Holliday is the first SS of any level the Rockies have taken in the first 100 picks since Terrin Vavra at 96 in 2018. That was the longest first 100 pick SS drought of any team. @BaseballAmerica @jjcoop36 #PramananSHIFT
— Pramana (@PramanaLabs) July 13, 2025

While high school players are admittedly hard to sign, it's still an odd draft strategy for Colorado. Shortstops are often seen as the best athletes on the field, so teams like to stockpile them as best they can. If worst comes to worst, teams often think they can change a players position to another in the infield.

Holliday put an up an incredible season on the Oklahoma high school circuit, hitting 19 home runs and driving in 64 runs.

2x Prep Baseball All-American, @ethanholliday2 was on a different level this spring The potential top pick in this year's #MLBDraft hit .611 with 19 's and 64 RBIs

Truly an outlandish senior campaign for the longstanding #1 player in the 2025 class

Full Story :… pic.twitter.com/hLzU5uTK4Q
— Prep Baseball (@prepbaseball) July 7, 2025

Drafting Holliday gives Rockies fans a bit of excitement and hope, as they enter the All-Star break with the worst record in baseball at 22-74. They are on track to set the worst record in baseball history, surpassing the Chicago White Sox (41-121) from a season ago.

Matt Holliday played 15 years in the big leagues with the Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, and New York Yankees. He spent part of eight years in St. Louis, six with Colorado, one with New York and part of one with Oakland. He was a seven-time All-Star selection, received MVP votes in eight different seasons and finished fifth in the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year voting.

He led the Rockies to the World Series in 2007, the only World Series appearance in team history.

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This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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