Nationals Projected To Take Brother of Former First Overall Pick in Latest Mock Draft

The MLB draft is set to take place during the All-Star break. Luckily for the Washington Nationals, they have the first overall pick.

There are plenty of players for the Nationals to choose from. Whether it is a college player that can make his way to the big leagues quickly, or a high school star with a lot of potential, Washington has the chance to draft a future All-Star.

Some mock drafts have the Nationals taking college left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold. However, Jim Callis of MLB.com has Washington taking Ethan Holliday with the No. 1 overall pick.

Holliday is the brother of former No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday. Jackson, of course, went to the Baltimore Orioles in the 2022 MLB draft. Now three years later, his little brother is ready to be a top pick.

Ethan Holliday Could Be Better than Jackson

Ethan projects to be similar to Jackson. However, his power potential is a little bit better. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Ethan is bigger than his older brother. His ability to crush baseballs is evidence of that. In fact, Callis says his left-handed swing generates power that is comparable to his dad, Matt Holliday.

According to his profile from MLB Pipeline, Ethan has an incredibly smooth swing that can turn him into a 30-plus home run hitter at the big league level. Once he develops more, the lefty will put on more strength to go along with his already great swing.

Defensively, Ethan is most likely not going to be a middle infielder like his brother. It is not often you see a shortstop come in at almost 6-foot-5 anyways. Still, he is a good fielder and can play some solid defense at third base.

Nationals Positional Needs

Is tough to draft based on positional needs in baseball. Unlike other sports, MLB teams do not see their draft picks in the Major Leagues for a couple years. Still, third base is a position the Nationals need to improve at.

The team has Brady House coming up. House is Washington's No. 3 prospect. The former first round pick is very close to making his MLB debut, as well.

Even with House close to being a big leaguer, Ethan Holliday would still be a good pick at No. 1. He would be coming out of high school, so there is a chance it could be three or four years before the Nationals see a return on their investment if they draft him.

If Holliday is the top pick in the draft, it would not be the wrong choice.