The Cubs have shown they aren’t afraid to invest in amateur players who have an injury history, especially when it comes to their top draft picks.
The Cubs believed lefthanded-hitting right fielder Ethan Conrad out of Wake Forest would have been a top 10 pick had he not had season-ending surgery to his left shoulder to limit him to 21 games.
Conrad’s blend of power and average-to-above all-around tools with dynamic upside made him their pick at No. 17 overall. The Cubs aren’t concerned about Conrad’s recovery from the torn labrum.
“I went through a really stressful time,” Conrad said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen with the draft, and I was really upset not being able to help my teammates out. And then just being able to get selected 17th is just super crazy.
“I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m just super grateful.”
At the time of the draft, Conrad had full range of motion back in his shoulder and expected by mid August to be at full strength. He will be able to swing and hit around that point, too.
The Cubs haven’t shied away from quickly promoting their first-round collegiate picks, particularly righthander Cade Horton and third baseman Matt Shaw, drafted in 2022 and 2023. This year, those two have been important pieces to the Cubs’ success.
Chicago drafted Florida State third baseman Cam Smith in the first round in 2024. He opened this season in the major leagues, but only after the Cubs traded him to the Astros in the December deal for Kyle Tucker.
Conrad is aware how aggressive the Cubs can be with their promotions, and he could follow a similar path.
“That’s extremely exciting,” Conrad said. “That’s definitely the goal for me, is just to get up there as quickly as possible and just put my best foot forward and strive to be the best that I can.
“I think the quicker that I can get up there and be helping out the Cubs big league team is going to be super special, and I’m just looking forward to making that happen as soon as possible.”