Renck: If any franchise deserved a Holliday from misery, it’s the Rockies. On pace for the worst record in modern MLB history, they were gift-wrapped slugger Ethan Holliday in Sunday’s draft. Projected to go first overall, he fell into Colorado’s lap with the fourth selection, making him an auto-pick given his family ties to the organization. Holliday is advanced for a prep player with his plus makeup, benefitting from a supportive mom and All-Star dad with Popeye forearms who taught him to hit. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Ethan is built more like his father, Matt, than his brother Jackson. But how long until he reaches the big leagues and at what position?
Keeler: Denverites are so used to watching the Rockies give away games — their 82 errors at the All-Star Break are the most of any team in MLB, just how Dick Monfort drew it up — that I’m not sure we remember what to do when we’re on the receiving end of an actual baseball gift. My biggest fear is that the Rox are so desperate to change the narrative that they might rush the poor kid. With Ryan Ritter already here and Ezequiel Tovar rehabbing, there’s a vacuum at shortstop in the middle of the organizational ladder. Dyan Jorge’s sporting an OPS of .588 at Double-A Hartford. Andy Perez has a .665 OPS in High-A Spokane. Holliday’s got the goods to stay afloat. I just hope the Monforts don’t push him into the deep end too soon.
Renck: Let’s pump the brakes on the timeline. Jackson reached the big leagues after 155 minor league games, but was a more advanced hitter. Ethan is more of a power hitter, but he needs to show he can handle plus-velocity consistently before arriving at Coors Field. Give it two minor league seasons for a pair of reasons. It gets him the necessary reps in the box, and time to learn third base defensively. Also, there is no rush. The Rockies are horrible. They need Holliday to be an aircraft carrier along with Charlie Condon when he arrives, so every box must be checked before his call-up in September of 2027 or the start of 2028.
Keeler: If Tovar finds his feet again, shortstop could well be blocked at Coors for a decade. Ethan’s got the arm for the hot corner or any outfield slot. But that bat’s gotta land. The Rockies haven’t produced a 30-homer hitter since 2019. That’s also the last time Colorado featured more than one of them in the same everyday lineup: Nolan Arenado had 41, Trevor Story 35, and Charlie Blackmon 32. Every Rox postseason team featured multiple players who hit 25 or more home runs in a given season. You’re playing at elevation. It’s not rocket science. It’s basic math.
Renck: Ethan wants to stay at shortstop. He has a better arm than Jackson, so it’s not unrealistic. But here’s the thing: The Rockies’ best player, when healthy, is Ezequiel Tovar. So while it would be great to see Ethan become the Rockies’ version of the Rangers’ Corey Seager — a left-handed thumper who hits 30-plus home runs — it makes more sense for him to man Kyle Seager’s position and move him to third. Matt was drafted as a third baseman and switched to outfield. The goal is to get Ethan’s bat to the bigs, ready to create middle-of-the-order impact.
Keeler: Meanwhile, another son-of-a-star Rox prospect, Kyle Karros, won a minor-league Gold Glove at third base with Spokane last season and is holding his own at Hartford. If Ethan wants to speed up his timetable, he might have to follow in his father’s footsteps and learn a corner outfield spot. Either way, in a perfect world, he’s forcing the issue by opening day 2028. And forcing it with a monster stick.
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Originally Published: July 14, 2025 at 1:04 PM MDT
