Ethan Conrad, who spent his freshman and sophomore years at Marist as an outfielder and first baseman, was drafted 17th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Conrad transferred to Wake Forest for his junior season and smacked seven home runs with an elite 1.238 OPS in 21 games. His season was cut short by shoulder surgery in early April, but he still ranked as one of the top collegiate prospects in this year’s draft.
Before transferring, Conrad lit up the MAAC Conference in 2023 and 2024, posting a .359/.425/.587 slash line in 103 games and accruing a list of accolades: 2023 All-MAAC Rookie Team, 2024 All-MAAC First Team, 2024 MAAC All-Championship Team and 2024 All-ECAC Team. Additionally, Conrad became the first player in NCAA history to hit four triples in one game, helping him set the MAAC single-season triples record at 13.
Only 20 other Red Foxes have ever been selected in the MLB Draft with none going higher than Tim Bittner – he went in the 10th round (313th overall) to the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Marist has had only one player reach the big leagues – right-handed reliever Kevin McCarthy – who pitched in 169 games over the course of five seasons with the Kansas City Royals from 2016 to 2020.
Though Conrad went in the first round, he will have to decide whether he wants to sign with the Cubs or continue his collegiate career. A week after the Demon Deacons got eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Tennessee, Conrad put his name in the transfer portal, adding a wrinkle to his draft status.
Less than two weeks ago, Conrad reportedly visited Tennessee, the 2024 National Champions and the same team that knocked out his Wake Forest squad. The Volunteers are a powerhouse program within college baseball, and Conrad likely has many other big-name schools interested in him if he decides not to go pro just yet.
Conrad has until July 28 at 5 p.m. ET to ink his deal with Chicago. If Conrad does not sign, he can play another season of NCAA baseball, but cannot be picked by the Cubs in next year’s draft without his permission.
Edited by Max Rosen
Photo from Marist Athletics
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