Future's So Bright: 2025 Rockies Draft Recap
Published on August 20, 2025 under Northwest League (NWL)
Spokane Indians News Release
1st Round (4th Overall) - SS Ethan Holliday, Stillwater HS (OK): The son of former Rockie and seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday (2004-08, 2018), and brother of Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday (taken No. 1 overall in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft), Ethan was named Gatorade's 2024-25 Oklahoma Player of the Year, hitting .611 (58-for-95) with a 1.295 slugging percentage and 2.038 OPS, to go along with 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 44 walks and eight strikeouts in his senior season. Following this campaign, Ethan was named the Baseball America High School Player of the Year and the National Prep Baseball Player of the Year. He was recognized as the No. 1 high school prospect entering the 2025 Draft by Perfect Game.
2nd Round (45th overall) - RHP JB Middleton, Southern Mississippi: Finished his first season as a starting pitcher with a 10-1 record and a 2.31 ERA in 16 starts, earning the Ferriss Trophy as the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi. The right-hander was a first-team All-American selection by Perfect Game and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, a second-team All-American selection by D1Baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings, and a Third Team All-America according to Baseball America.
2nd Round CB-B (74th overall) - OF Max Belyeu, Texas: Missed 25 games his junior season with Texas, but still slashed .303/.410/.576 with nine homers and 29 RBI for the Longhorns. As a sophomore, the Aledo, Texas, native was tabbed the Big 12 Player of the Year after pacing the Longhorns in slugging (.667), OPS (1.090) and multi-RBI performances (15), while matching the team lead in home runs (18).
3rd Round (77th overall) - 3B Ethan Hedges, Southern California: A two-way player for the Trojans, Hedges slashed .346/.462/.619 with 14 home runs and 10 stolen bases while saving nine games and posting a 2.40 ERA in 15 relief appearances. One of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, Hedges earned All-Big Ten First Team honors and was named a Second Team All-American by Perfect Game.
4th Round (107th overall) - RHP Riley Kelly, UC-Irvine: Originally drafted in the 20th round of the 2022 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kelly instead chose to attend UC-Irvine where he enjoyed a breakout 2025 season. Named to the All-Big West Second Team as a redshirt sophomore after finishing with a 4-1 record and 3.78 ERA for the Anteaters.
5th Round (138th overall) - OF Cameron Nelson, Wake Forest: Nelson was limited to just 27 games in 2025 due to a finger injury, but slashed .318/.489/.485 with eight extra-base hits and 19 RBIs as a draft-eligible sophomore. Made six appearances on the mound during his freshman season, striking out 10 in 5.2 innings.
6th Round (167th overall) - C Matt Klein, Louisville: Missed two months after being hit by a pitch on the wrist, finishing with a .310 batting average, six doubles and five homers in 33 games for the Cardinals. Klein homered in each of the first two games of the NCAA Regional and tallied a hit in all four games at the College World Series.
7th Round (197th overall) - LHP Antoine Jean, Houston: A native of Montreal, Canada, Jean became the first relief pitcher in Big 12 history to win conference Pitcher of the Year in 2025. The southpaw was second nationally in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (14.78) and hits allowed per nine innings pitched (5.37) while also ranking among the top 20 in ERA (2.55), strikeouts (110), and K/BB (5.50).
8th Round (227th overall) - 1B Tanner Thach, UNC-Wilmington: Started all 58 games for the Seahawks at first base, leading the team with 12 home runs and 78 hits. The great nephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Thach was the CAA Co-Player of the Year in 2024 and first-team All-CAA selection in 2025.
9th Round (257th overall) - C Zach Rogacki, SUNY Binghampton: First team all-conference in 2025 as utility player after playing catcher, DH and outfield. Led America East in doubles (17) and sacrifice bunts (11) and ranked second in triples (4), third in both hits (74) and average and fourth in slugging (.600).
10th Round (287th overall) - RHP Austin Newton, South Florida: Finished 2-3 with a 4.76 ERA in his junior season at the University of South Florida. The big right-hander also pitched for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the MLB Draft League in 2025, posting a 1-0 record and 0.56 ERA.
11th Round (317th overall) - RHP Zach Harris, Georgia: Posted a 3-1 record with a team-high four saves and a 4.55 ERA for the Bulldogs, pitching 27.2 innings with nine walks and 31 strikeouts. The right-hander was at his best in SEC action, recording a 2.03 ERA, 18 K/1 BB mark, and four saves in in 13.1 innings.
12th Round (347th overall) - LHP Brady Parker, University of Houston-Victoria: Made 15 starts for the Jaguars in 2025, finishing with an 8-3 record, 3.84 ERA, and 12.54 K/9 mark in 79.2 innings. The southpaw was an All-RRAC First Team selection the past two seasons and was just the second University of Houston-Victoria player to be selected in the MLB Draft.
13th Round (377th overall) - RHP Izeah Muniz, Mt. San Antonio College (CA): Finished 13-1 with a 1.92 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 126 K in 108 IP during 2025 season. Closed out the final inning of the 2025 3C2A State Championship game to lead Mt. San Antonio College to first state title in 60 years.
14th Round (407th overall) - RHP Luke Broderick, Nebraska: The right-hander went 4-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 13 saves for the Cornhuskers in 2025, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors while also being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
15th Round (437th overall) - RHP Dylan Crooks, Oklahoma: Made 26 appearances out of the bullpen as Oklahoma's primary closer, racking up 16 saves while posting a 1.69 ERA in 32 innings pitched. The right-hander was named a Third Team All-American by Baseball America and earned OU's annual Mitchell Whitaker "Go Mitch Go" Award recipient, presented to a Sooner who demonstrates outstanding character and leadership qualities.
16th Round (467th overall) - RHP Seth Clausen, Minnesota: Collected 46 strikeouts in 32.2 innings, leading the Golden Gophers with 23 appearances out of the bullpen. The right-hander earned Academic All-Big Ten honors (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25) and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2024-25).
17th Round (497th overall) - RHP Derrick Smith, NC State: Limited by injuries and made just six appearances for the Wolfpack in 2025. The right-hander was named to the 2025 NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List after striking out 41 in 29.2 innings pitched as a sophomore in 2024.
18th Round (527th overall) - RHP Tyrelle Chadwick, Illinois State: The right-hander was named All-MVC Second Team in 2025 after leading the Redbirds with 77.1 innings pitched. The son of former MLB pitcher Ray Chadwick, who appeared in seven games with the California Angels in 1986.
19th Round (557th overall) - RHP Easton Marks, Florida International: CUSA All-First Team selection with FIU in 2025 after posting a 3-2 record, 3.57 ERA, and .229 average against in 13 starts. The right-hander is a native of Denver, CO, and graduated from Arapahoe High School before attending Nevada and FIU.
20th Round (587th overall) - LHP Ethan Cole, Augustana University (SD): Went 6-0 with a 4.21 ERA in 16 appearances on the mound for Division II Augustana University this spring, striking out 57 in 36.1 innings pitched. The southpaw was a Northwoods League All-Star with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in 2025 after leading the team in strikeouts, innings, and wins.
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