Cubs Select Ethan Conrad With 17th Pick in First Round of 2025 MLB Draft

The Chicago Cubs had the luxury of adding another talented player to their already-loaded farm system with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft.

There aren't a ton of glaring needs when it comes to specific areas they needed to address in their pipeline, with a strong outlook across the diamond in their pipeline. So at No. 17 they decided to bolster their outfield.

Ethan Conrad was the choice.

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The outfielder from Wake Forest stands at 6-foot-3 and is 220 pounds. He is a well-rounded prospect when it comes to his ability to hit for power, contact and run.

When playing at Marist in 2024, he slashed .389/.467/.704 with a Division I-leading 13 triples to go along with nine homers and 52 RBI.

Conrad seemed poised to star for a notable program when he transferred to Wake Forest for the 2025 season, and that's exactly what he was doing before he hurt his shoulder.

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He had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after 21 games, but he showed enough with the .372/.495/.744 slash line, seven homers, eight doubles, 27 RBI and 18 walks compared to 14 strike outs that he still garnered first-round consideration.

The Cubs can afford to take a chance on Conrad and his injury.

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Chicago's farm system is loaded with talent, with Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara being the headliners right now ranked No. 1 and No. 4 in their pipeline, respectively.

Outside of those two, though, the only other true outfielders in the top 30 are Brett Bateman at No. 21, Christian Franklin at No. 25 and Eli Lovich at No. 30.

Conrad will slot in there at some level and be someone to keep an eye on.

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