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2h ago

Ethan Holliday Nets Record $9 Million High School Bonus With Rockies

The deal highlights how clubs deploy flexible draft pools to secure top amateur talent

Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ethan Holliday is drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the fourth pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images/File Photo
Ethan Holliday looks on from in the Colorado Rockies dugout during his father’s press conference, former Colorado Rockies player Matt Holliday, before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Coors Field in Denver Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post/TNS)

Overview

  • Ethan Holliday signed a minor league contract on July 22 with a $9 million bonus, marking the largest ever for a high school draft pick.
  • He was selected fourth overall in the 2025 MLB Draft after batting .611 with 19 home runs and earning Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year honor.
  • His bonus eclipses the $8.2 million mark set by Eli Willits and the $8.19 million record of his brother Jackson, with all three players hailing from Oklahoma.
  • Scouts rate him as a five-tool shortstop with 65-grade power and 50-or-better scores across all tools on MLB’s 20-80 scale.
  • At $9 million, Holliday’s signing stands as the Rockies’ second-largest draft bonus to date, trailing only Charlie Condon’s $9.25 million agreement.