This could be the moment we look back on and say, “That’s when everything changed.” Or—if history repeats itself—it might become just another entry in the long list of Rockies misfires.
With the fourth pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies selected Ethan Holliday, a 6’4″ left-handed hitting infielder and son of franchise legend Matt Holliday. It’s a move dripping with symbolism, nostalgia, and—finally—hope. But make no mistake: this selection can’t just be about sentiment. For owner Dick Monfort and the franchise he’s stubbornly overseen for nearly two decades, drafting Ethan Holliday has to be more than a feel-good story. It has to be the moment they finally get it right.
Because the truth is, they rarely have.
A Rotten Track Record
No organization in Major League Baseball has done less with more top-10 draft capital over the past 15 years than the Colorado Rockies. High picks have been wasted, rushed, mismanaged, or lost in the void of a player development system that seems allergic to innovation.
- Riley Pint (4th overall, 2016): A flamethrowing prep arm with ace potential who battled control issues and organizational indecision until he briefly retired.
- Brendan Rodgers (3rd overall, 2015): A can’t-miss infielder who never became more than an average big leaguer—undercut by injuries and a system that seemed unsure how to develop his swing.
- Jon Gray (3rd overall, 2013): Solid, serviceable—but never the ace the Rockies hoped for. He walked in free agency without even a qualifying offer.
- Zac Veen, Benny Montgomery, Robert Tyler—the list goes on. Players with upside swallowed whole by the altitude, misaligned coaching, or the franchise’s refusal to evolve.
The failures aren’t just about individual players. They’re systemic. The Rockies have consistently failed to create a modern development ecosystem that maximizes talent. And that’s why this moment—this pick—carries weight beyond just Ethan Holliday’s future.
It could define Dick Monfort’s entire legacy.
The Monfort Equation: One Final Chance to Get It Right
Monfort has long been the lightning rod for everything wrong with the Rockies. A hands-on owner who too often confuses loyalty with competence, he’s clung to outdated philosophies and resisted the kind of sweeping overhaul that franchises like Baltimore and Cincinnati embraced to great success.
But now, with Ethan Holliday in purple pinstripes, Monfort has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to do what he’s never done:
- Invest in player development like it matters.
- Hire forward-thinking people and let them work.
- Stop acting like Coors Field is a built-in excuse.
Drafting Ethan doesn’t fix anything by itself. But it can force change—if the Rockies are willing to evolve. They don’t need to overthink this. They need to build a tailored path for Holliday that mirrors the best practices in the league: data-informed hitting instruction, injury prevention, mental skills training, and modern strength programs. The Rockies don’t just need to develop Ethan Holliday. They need to build a system that earns his trust.
Ethan Is Not Just Matt’s Kid—He’s the Future
Let’s be clear: Ethan Holliday is no legacy charity pick. He’s a legitimate No. 1-caliber talent who just happened to fall to the Rockies at No. 4. He’s got a professional approach, opposite-field power, and instincts sharpened from years of being around major league clubhouses. His ceiling? A perennial All-Star. A centerpiece.
But the Rockies have had centerpieces before. Nolan Arenado. Troy Tulowitzki. Trevor Story. They either misused them, failed to build around them, or pushed them out the door due to dysfunction and frugality.
Ethan Holliday must not be the next name on that list.
This Isn’t Just About a Player. It’s About a Statement.
In many ways, this is Monfort’s reset button. A chance to shed the image of a small-market owner content with big-market profits. A chance to signal to fans—many of whom have walked away—that the franchise is finally willing to act like a contender, not a coaster.
If the Rockies develop Ethan Holliday the right way, they won’t just have a new face of the franchise.
They’ll have credibility again.
They’ll have a direction.
They’ll have something they’ve lacked for 15 years: a plan.
Conclusion: Don’t Screw This Up
The Rockies can’t miss this time. Not just because Ethan Holliday is talented. Not just because of who his father is. But because this fanbase—and this franchise—desperately needs proof that things can be different. That Monfort can learn. That this team has a future worth believing in.
Drafting Ethan Holliday was a great first step.
Now comes the part that’s always eluded the Rockies.
Getting the next steps right.
thunderfootsports.com 
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