Latest news with #MattHolliday
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rockies sign Ethan Holliday to largest-ever bonus for a high school player after nabbing him with 4th pick in draft
To many, the Colorado Rockies got a steal when they selected elite shortstop prospect Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the MLB Draft. They're paying him like he was the best player in his class. Per the Rockies have signed Holliday to a $9 million signing bonus, the largest-ever for a high school draft pick. It surpasses the bonus ($8.2 million) signed by No. 1 overall pick (Nationals) Eli Willits. It's the fourth-highest bonus awarded to a draft pick of any kind. Only Paul Skenes ($9.2 million, Pirates, No. 1 overall in 2023), Chase Burns ($9.25 million, Reds, No. 2 overall in 2024) and Charlie Condon ($9.25 million, Rockies, No. 3 overall in 2024) signed for more. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The bonus speaks to the excitement around Holliday in Colorado and upside the shortstop with top baseball pedigree brings to the Rockies. Holliday is the son of seven-time All-Star and 2004 NL batting champion Matt Holliday. He's the brother of Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, who's off to a strong start in his second MLB season, three years after Baltimore selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Holliday was No. 2 player on Yahoo Sports' Draft Board and regarded by many as a potential No. 1 overall pick. But he slid to the Rockies, who were happy to draft him at No. 4. For Rockies fans, the acquisition of Holliday adds a glimmer of hope amid a season of misery in which Colorado is flirting with the worst record in MLB history. And for good reason. Here's Yahoo Sports baseball analyst Jordan Shusterman on Holliday's favorable comparisons to his brother, Jackson: For the most part, Holliday's performance throughout his high school career sustained the outlandish hype, culminating in a resounding senior season in which he completely outclassed the middling Oklahoma competition, posting a laughable 2.046 OPS with 16 home runs in 118 plate appearances across 32 games. Holliday won't help the Rockies this season. But there's reason for excitement in Colorado.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ethan Holliday and Colorado agree to record $9 million signing bonus, AP source says
Ethan Holliday agreed to a minor league contract with a $9 million bonus with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, a record for a player drafted out of high school under the current system, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Colorado had not announced the agreement. Holliday, a son of Rockies great Matt Holliday and the younger brother of Baltimore second baseman Jackson Holliday, was the No. 4 overall pick in the amateur draft. The 18-year-old, 6-foot-4 shortstop from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 available prospect. The previous record for a drafted high school player under the current system was set this month by No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits, who agreed to an $8.2 million bonus with Washington. That topped the $8.19 million given to Jackson Holliday by the Orioles in 2022. The bonus also matches the fourth highest for a drafted player since picks were restricted to minor league contracts in 2012, trailing Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns and Colorado outfielder Charlie Condon (both $9.25 million), Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes ($9.2 million) and matching Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Ethan Holliday and Colorado agree to record $9 million signing bonus, AP source says
Ethan Holliday agreed to a minor league contract with a $9 million bonus with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, a record for a player drafted out of high school under the current system, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Colorado had not announced the agreement. Holliday, a son of Rockies great Matt Holliday and the younger brother of Baltimore second baseman Jackson Holliday, was the No. 4 overall pick in the amateur draft. The 18-year-old, 6-foot-4 shortstop from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 available prospect. The previous record for a drafted high school player under the current system was set this month by No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits, who agreed to an $8.2 million bonus with Washington. That topped the $8.19 million given to Jackson Holliday by the Orioles in 2022. The bonus also matches the fourth highest for a drafted player since picks were restricted to minor league contracts in 2012, trailing Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns and Colorado outfielder Charlie Condon (both $9.25 million), Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes ($9.2 million) and matching Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews. ___ AP MLB:
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Rockies sign HS player Ethan Holliday to record $9M bonus
July 22 - Ethan Holliday signed with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday for a $9 million bonus, according to The amount is a record for a high school player. Holliday, the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft from Stillwater (Okla.) High, surpassed the record $8.2 million bonus that fellow prep shortstop and first overall pick Eli Willits received from the Washington Nationals on Saturday. Willits surpassed the $8.19 million that Jackson Holliday -- older brother of Ethan -- received when selected No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022. All three players are products of the state of Oklahoma. Ethan Holliday's bonus is the second-highest given out by the Rockies. Colorado signed last season's No. 3 overall pick, college player Charlie Condon of Georgia, for $9.25 million, tied with right-hander Chase Burns (No. 2 overall, 2024) of the Cincinnati Reds for the largest bonus. Ethan Holliday was Baseball America's 2025 High School Player of the Year. He recorded a .611 batting average with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs in 33 games. Overall, Holliday's bonus ties for fourth-highest with outfielder Dylan Crews, the No. 2 pick in 2023 by the Nationals. Pittsburgh Pirates ace right-hander Paul Skenes ($9.2 million) received the third-highest bonus. He was the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in 2023. The two Hollidays are the sons of former Rockies star Matt Holliday. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ethan Holliday signs with Rockies, landing top bonus for high school player, per report
A few days after Fort Cobb-Broxton star Eli Willits landed the largest signing bonus of a high school baseball player in MLB Draft history, Stillwater's Ethan Holliday topped it. Holliday signed his contract with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, agreeing to a deal with a signing bonus of $9 million, according to Jim Callis. It's about $229,000 over the slot value of the fourth overall pick. Advertisement Willits, the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Nationals, signed his contract with a bonus of $8.2 million, surpassing the $8.19 million bonus former Stillwater star Jackson Holliday — Ethan's older brother — agreed to with the Baltimore Orioles in 2022. Willits' deal was well below the slot value of $11,075,900. Holliday now officially joins the organization that drafted and developed his father, Matt, who became a World Series champion and seven-time All-Star. More: Ethan Holliday could be No. 1 in MLB Draft like his brother. Add it to their competition. Jacob Unruh is the deputy sports editor for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at junruh@ or on X/Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support Jacob's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ethan Holliday signs with Rockies for largest HS bonus, per report
