December 11th 2024.
The Rockies were hoping for some luck on Tuesday as they eagerly awaited the results of Major League Baseball's Draft Lottery. Unfortunately, the baseball gods did not smile upon them or the Miami Marlins, as both teams missed out on the top pick. Despite having the best chance of winning, the Rockies finished fourth in the lottery, while the Marlins fell to seventh. It was a disappointing outcome for both teams, especially considering the Rockies' tough season, where they lost 101 games.
With odds of 22.5%, the Rockies and the Marlins entered the lottery with high hopes. But it was the Washington Nationals, who only had the fourth-best chance, who came out on top and secured the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. Despite the disappointment, Marc Gustafson, Colorado's senior director of scouting operations, remained optimistic, saying, "There's going to be a good player there. We've done a lot of work, not just in the last few days, but our scouts and our guys have been working hard, and we've identified some top talent. Now it's time to sort it all out."
Clint Hurdle, the former Rockies manager, and current special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt, represented the Rockies during the MLB Network broadcast. However, with the team's fourth-place finish, Hurdle will surely face some teasing from his colleagues. As he departed the Hilton Anatole Hotel, where the lottery was held, Hurdle could only laugh and say, "I got nothing to say, boys."
Despite missing out on the top pick, Gustafson believes that the 2025 draft is loaded with talent, especially among college players. He also mentioned that there is a lot of pitching depth in this draft, making it an exciting time for the Rockies to add some new talent to their roster.
One of the most highly anticipated players in the draft is Ethan Holliday, a high school shortstop/third baseman from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. He is the son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday and the younger brother of Jackson Holliday, who was the first overall pick in 2022 and made his MLB debut in 2024. The Rockies have never had the first overall pick, with their highest selection being second overall in 2006, where they chose Stanford right-hander Greg Reynolds.
The emcee for the draft lottery was Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, who held up the Washington Nationals logo as they were announced as the winners. The lottery was implemented as part of the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association to discourage teams from "tanking" in order to secure a better draft position. The lottery awards the top six picks, with the 2025 draft scheduled to take place during the All-Star break in Atlanta.
Last season, the Chicago White Sox lost a modern-record 121 games but were ineligible to receive the first overall pick through the lottery. This is because they had the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, and teams that pay into revenue sharing are not allowed to participate in the lottery in consecutive years. This gave the Rockies and Marlins, who had the second- and third-worst records in baseball, a better chance at securing the top pick.
In the previous draft, the Guardians won the lottery despite finishing with the league's ninth-worst record. They selected Oregon State infielder Travis Bazzana with the first overall pick. The Cincinnati Reds also had a successful lottery, moving up from the 13th pick to the second and selecting Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns.
Last season, the Rockies had the third overall pick, and they selected Georgia outfielder/corner infielder Charlie Condon. This year, they will have to wait and see which top talent they can secure with the fourth pick. But one thing is for sure, they are determined to stay the course and continue building a strong team for the future. For more Rockies news and analysis, be sure to sign up for the Rockies Insider.
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