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The MLB Draft felt pretty straightforward, but there were still some picks throughout the night that surprised some people. Some prospects got drafted earlier than expected, while others may have fallen. Outside of the top two picks, there was one surprise that happened, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
“The Rockies have done a lot of things wrong over these last few … uh, decades. But it was really cool to see them take Ethan Holliday at No. 4 after his father, Matt, starred in Colorado for so long. Outside of the top two picks, Ethan Conrad going 17th to the Cubs was my biggest surprise of the night,” Gonzalez wrote.
“Kiley had him ranked 30th; others had him falling out of the first round entirely,” Gonzalez continued. “There's uncertainty coming off shoulder surgery. But Conrad, 21, put up a 1.238 OPS in 97 plate appearances before his season ended prematurely in March. And the dearth of college bats probably influenced a slight reach here.”
The Cubs seemed to have been scouting Conrad for some years, and they felt like he was on track to be picked in the top 1o. Unfortunately, he had a left shoulder injury that limited him to 21 games this season. It was a dislocated left shoulder and a labral tear that he suffered in March 2025 while diving for a ball. He says he has a full range of motion and is focusing on strength work.
In the games he played for Wake Forest, Conrad slashed .372/.495/.744 with seven home runs, eight doubles, and 27 RBIs. He finished with more walks than strikeouts, scoring 30 runs and stealing four bases.
Conrad is going to be a special talent for the Cubs, and it looks like they possibly could've gotten a steal in the draft. There were a lot of people who thought he wouldn't even get drafted in the first round, but the Cubs saw something in him that made them want to go with him.
