Washington Nationals Linked to Infielder Ethan Holliday in MLB Mock Draft
The Washington Nationals have had a quiet offseason so far in terms of bringing in new players to fill out their roster, but they did make a splash during the MLB Draft Lottery.
Despite being a team on the rise, the Nationals were able to catch a big break, as they won the MLB Draft Lottery, securing the first overall pick.
The last two times Washington held the first overall pick, they were able to draft two of the best players in franchise history in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. Both of these players were well-known prior to being draft and believed to be generational talents.
This coming draft, there are a few big name prospects who will be available for Mike Rizzo and the organization to scout and make a decision on.
Joel Rueter of Bleacher Report recently released his MLB Mock Draft and had the Nationals taking the very talented Ethan Holliday first overall.
“With a 6'4", 200-pound frame and 65-grade power, Holliday is more of a prototypical power hitter than his older brother who went No. 1 overall in the 2022 draft on the strength of his advanced hit tool. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, but not enough to drag down what looks like the highest offensive ceiling in the 2025 draft class.”
Holliday certainly has the bloodline to be a generational talent, as his father was former All-Star Matt Holliday, and his brother Jackson Holliday was the first overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022.
Ethan Holliday is committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma State, where his uncie is the head coach. But, the same went for Jackson Holliday before he spurned the Cowboys to turn pro.
At just 17 years old, the young slugger is a big player at 6-4, 200 lbs. He is still likely to only get bigger and stronger, which could result in him being more of a power hitter than his brother. However, it will also likely mean moving over to third base compared to being a shortstop by the time he is called up.
If it is Holliday who Washington ends up taking, he could join a very good lineup by the time he’s called up. Currently, the Nationals have a bright future with a lot of good young talent already in place. Players like James Wood and Dylan Crews, who are both highly regarded prospects, should be well-developed players by the time a player like Holliday arrives.
Washington winning the lottery is a big boost for the franchise, as they certainly weren’t the worst team in baseball last season. Now, they will have a golden opportunity to add another impact prospect to their system.
