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More often than not, fathers guide their sons into the world of baseball. It helps further if the same dads have a big league experience behind them. It can be argued that it becomes even harder for the youngsters as they have big shoes to fill.
This year’s MLB draft features several prospects aiming to follow in their fathers’ footsteps — let’s take a closer look.
5 MLB Draft picks whose fathers have been involved in the MLB
#1, Eli Willits, No. 1 overall pick, Washington Nationals
The Nationals drafted 17-year-old Eli Willits fresh from high school. The Fort Cobb-Broxton, Oklahoma, native is the son of former outfielder Reggie Willits, who played for six seasons in the MLB for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2006 to 2011. Willits was a career .258 batter. Post-retirement, he turned to coaching, joining the New York Yankees, where he served as the first base coach from 2018 to 2021.
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#2, Ethan Holliday, No. 4 overall pick, Colorado Rockies
After training Jackson to get into the MLB with the Baltimore Orioles, Matt Holliday's son, Ethan, is the latest in the family to be selected in the first round. Matt laid the foundation, playing 15 seasons in the big leagues, earning 7 All-Star caps. He was a World Series winner with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Like his father, Ethan was also drafted by the Rockies.
#3, Brady Ebel, No. 32 overall pick, Milwaukee Brewers
Brady Ebel is the only one on the list who could face his father on the opposite side of the dugout. Brady's father, Dino, is currently the third base coach with the World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a minor leaguer with the same organization, reaching Triple-A. Before the Dodgers, Dino was with the Angels for 13 seasons in various roles. He was also Team USA's third base coach during the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
#4, Cade Obermueller, No. 63 overall pick, Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies picked southpaw Cade Obermueller, son of former right-hander Wes Obermueller. The latter pitched to an 11-22 record with a 5.82 ERA in 80 appearances in the big leagues over five seasons. Interestingly, during the 2004 season, Wes hit 15-for-26 with the bat, having a .385 average. After his MLB spells, Wes took his trade to Japan and South Korea.
#5, Kaeden Kent, No. 103 overall pick, New York Yankees
The best father's resume on this list belongs to Kaeden Kent's father, Jeff Kent, who was one of the best all-around hitters in the MLB in the 1990s and 2000s. In 17 seasons, he batted at .290 with 377 home runs and 1518 RBIs. Jeff received 5 All-Star caps and was even voted the National League MVP in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants.
