Ethan Holliday, Rockies Agree to Contract with Historic $9M Bonus After 2025 MLB Draft

Ethan Holliday may be years away from his major league debut, but he already made history.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported Tuesday he and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a contract that will pay the No. 4 overall pick of the 2025 MLB draft a $9 million bonus. It is the biggest bonus for a player who was selected out of high school in draft history.

It is also tied for the fourth-highest bonus of all time.

Baseball is a family business for the Hollidays, as Ethan is the son of former Rockies player Matt Holliday and the brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday.

Jackson Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 MLB draft and held the previous record for a high school bonus at $8.19 million until this summer. Eli Willits, who was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 MLB draft, agreed to an $8.2 million bonus with the Washington Nationals.

However, his record stood for a matter of days, as Ethan Holliday surpassed it with this deal.

Holliday is a familiar name for Rockies fans, as his father played the first five years of his career in Colorado. He also appeared in 25 games for the National League West team during his final year in 2018.

He was a three-time All-Star during his tenure with the Rockies and led the league in batting average (.340), RBI (137), hits (216) and doubles (50) during the 2007 campaign when he won a Silver Slugger and finished second in National League MVP voting.

That is quite the legacy to live up to for Ethan Holliday, but there is no questioning his potential.

McDaniel noted he was the top-ranked high school player and second-ranked player overall by ESPN leading up to the draft. The Rockies wouldn't have given him a record deal if they didn't believe in his ability to deliver down the line, and now all eyes will be on him moving forward.