- Full name Ethan Holliday
- Born 02/23/2007 in
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: Holliday was viewed as a potential No. 1 pick through much of the lead-up to the 2025 draft. But when the first three teams passed, he wound up coming home, in a sense, to the Rockies. Colorado drafted Ethan’s father Matt Holliday back in 1998, while his younger brother Jackson Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 and is currently the Orioles’ second baseman. With those bloodlines, Ethan has long been on the radar of scouts, first drawing attention as a freshman at Stillwater High in Oklahoma. While his last name commands attention, Ethan’s talent stands on its own and he was recognized as BA’s 2025 High School Player of the Year. The Rockies signed him for $9 million, a bonus record for a high school player. After a brief two-week stint in the Arizona bridge league, Holliday began his pro career with Low-A Fresno, where he hit .239 with two home runs and a concerning 39% strikeout rate. That was the third-worst strikeout rate by a first-round pick in his draft year in the past decade—minimum 50 plate appearances—bettering only Elijah Green and Vance Honeycutt.
Scouting Report: Physically, Holliday resembles his father more than his older brother Jackson. He is a well-built lefthanded hitter with the 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame to be a powerful slugger. At the plate, he utilizes a fluid and powerful swing with natural rhythm and balance. He’s particularly advanced at pitch recognition, showing the ability to lay off borderline pitches and work deep into counts. Holliday is comfortable taking walks when pitchers refuse to challenge him. He sprays the ball to all fields and doesn’t need to over-swing to tap into his raw power—with some scouts projecting legitimate 30-homer upside. But in his pro debut, he was too easy to beat in the strike zone. He swung and missed nearly 43% of the time in 2025, which was among the worst rates in the minors. Holliday will need to shorten his stroke, because he can be beat by quality stuff too often. He should have the strength to do so without sacrificing much power. Scouts said that his bat speed and feel for the zone suggest he could make those adjustments with time and experience. Defensively, Holliday has solid hands and enough arm to handle shortstop for now, but as his frame continues to fill out, a move to third base, a corner outfield spot, or possibly first base appears likely. He’s made noticeable strides in his footwork and defensive consistency. He’s a below-average runner but has solid instincts on the basepaths.
The Future: Despite his initial struggles in his pro debut, Holliday has the building blocks to be a cornerstone player for the Rockies. His blend of power, plate discipline and defensive flexibility provides a solid foundation to develop into a dependable everyday player. If he makes more consistent contact, the rest of his game could make him an impact hitter.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55.
Draft Prospects
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School: Stillwater (Okla.) HS Drafted/Committed: Oklahoma State
Age At Draft: 18.4
BA Grade: 60/High
Ethan Holliday is the younger brother of Orioles second baseman and 2022 first overall pick Jackson Holliday. The Holliday brothers—sons of seven-time all-star outfielder Matt Holliday—have a chance to match or exceed the draft position that the Upton brothers achieved after B.J. was the No. 2 pick in 2002 and Justin went No. 1 in 2025. Ethan has been a high-profile player in the 2025 class for years. Scouts saw him as a freshman at Stillwater High when Jackson was the focus, and even then noted his advanced physicality. Ethan is built much more like his father than Jackson, with a hulking 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame and a different shade to his game. Holliday has tremendous ease with his lefthanded swing, which is smooth and powerful and comes with good rhythm and balance in the box. He has an excellent eye, tracks pitches well and is willing to take a walk when he’s pitched around—which is often. He also has a knack for using the entire field. Holliday has swing-and-miss tendencies that could impact the quality of his hit tool, but scouts are confident he has the power and patience to compensate. He generates easy power to all fields and doesn’t have to sell out to get to it, with a chance to develop into a 30-home run threat. Holliday is a below-average runner who takes a few steps to get going. He has the hands and arm strength for shortstop and improved his fielding consistency in 2025. He likely will outgrow shortstop and slide to third base, an outfield corner or even first base. Holliday’s offensive upside is as good as any hitter in the class.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run:40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55. -
School: Stillwater (Okla.) HS Committed: Oklahoma State
Age At Draft: 18.4
Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday—son of seven time all-star outfielder Matt Holliday—was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft out of high school. Like the Upton brothers when B.J. was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft and Justin went No. 1 overall in 2005, Ethan Holliday could join his older brother as another elite draft pick. Scouts have seen Ethan plenty of times already since he was a freshman when he was high school teammates with Jackson during his 2022 draft year, and Ethan has grown bigger and stronger since then. Built more like his father than his brother, Ethan’s ease of operation in the batter’s box stands out. Holliday showcases a smooth, compact swing from the left side with good rhythm and balance. He tracks pitches extremely well, maintaining a disciplined approach to draw plenty of walks. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, but Holliday has a mature offensive mindset, controlling the strike zone and using the whole field. Holliday drives the ball well now and doesn’t have to sell out to generate that power, with the upside to develop into a 30-plus home run threat. At shortstop, Holliday is a fundamentally sound defender for his age, though at his size, there’s a good chance he outgrows the position and ends up at third base in pro ball, with the middle-of-the-order offensive upside that would project well in a corner outfield spot too.
