Glenbrook North’s Ethan Bass has to contend with a lot of outside noise as one of the nation’s most highly touted baseball prospects.
Bass, a 6-foot-2 senior shortstop, is signed to play with national power Wake Forest, and he’s a staple near the top of prospect lists for the MLB draft in July. He ranks 56th on MLB’s list of eligible players.
Even with all of the associated attention being cast Bass’ way, he doesn’t lose sight of how he arrived at this critical juncture in his baseball career, and he has a very simple way of staying grounded.
“You’ve got to play the game like you’re 5 years old again, like you’re playing in ‘The Sandlot’ movie,” Bass said. “You have to stay humble, or the game will humble you, and it’s important to remember to have fun.”
Bass’ approach has been successful this season. He hit .516 with four home runs, 16 runs scored and six stolen bases in the Spartans’ first 12 games. He also coaxed 13 walks in that span, leading to a .673 on-base percentage and 1.641 OPS.
Bass has long been on talent evaluators’ radars. In an industry where analysis often seems centered on finding holes, it’s hard to find many in Bass’ skill set. He’s a line-drive hitter who can hit the ball from gap to gap with authority, and he makes every play at a premium position look easy.
Glenbrook North shortstop Ethan Bass (4) warms up before a nonconference game against Niles West in Northbrook on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Talia Sprague / Pioneer Press)
“His defense is what sets him apart,” Glenbrook North coach Justin Weiner said. “Combining his range, glove, arm and instincts, it’s the complete package. There have been multiple times that I’ve turned to one of my assistants and asked, ‘How did he make that play?’
“He plays the game the right way, which makes him so much fun to coach.”
It’s not uncommon to see a high school baseball team’s most athletic player at shortstop, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay at that position at the next level. To get a leg up, Bass has introduced a “prep step” before every pitch.
“That helps keep me present in every moment,” he said. “You have to be locked in on every pitch. It’s so easy to space out, and I try to be aware of when I am.
“It’s a game of inches, so little things matter.”
Therein lies one of Bass’ unsung talents.
“I’m always trying to learn,” he said. “You can’t always think you’re right. When I watch baseball, I’m trying to see how major leaguers do it.”
Bass has actually been be able to consult former MLB second baseman Jason Kipnis, a Glenbrook North graduate who ended his playing career with the Chicago Cubs in 2020 and has returned to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant. Bass has made sure to take advantage of that opportunity.
“Ethan has from the start been someone who’s been comfortable having baseball conversations with me, which is great to see because he’s trying to better himself,” Kipnis said. “He’s aware that he makes mistakes and that he needs to get better.
“He’s got all the physical tools, but the little things are the separators as you move to higher levels.”
Glenbrook North shortstop Ethan Bass, shown before a nonconference game against Niles West in Northbrook on Thursday, April 9, 2026, is a fourth-year varsity player. (Talia Sprague / Pioneer Press)
Bass probably will have to choose between two higher levels this summer. But he emphasized that playing for Wake Forest coach Tom Walter appeals to him.
”They have a great plan for everyone that walks in there,” he said. “On the player development side, there’s amazing stuff that they produce.”
Bass could be talking about the 2025 American League rookie of the year, Oakland first baseman Nick Kurtz. But Bass is paying particular attention to another Wake Forest product, shortstop Marek Houston, whom the Minnesota Twins drafted with the 16th overall pick last July.
“That’s who coach sees in me,” Bass said. “I love to hear that, and it makes me excited to put the work in. I’m super excited for the future, but I like to have myself in the present moment.”
Bass allows himself to look back too. He remembers his first high school season in 2023 fondly.
“I was nervous because it seemed like a different type of game,” he said. “But I got a double and a single in my first two at-bats, and that got the first-game jitters out. I still talk to a bunch of those guys.”
Glenbrook North’s Ethan Bass hits a two-run home run during a nonconference game against Niles West in Northbrook on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Talia Sprague / Pioneer Press)
Bass experienced a rare slump in the middle of his sophomore season, when Glenbrook North advanced to a Class 4A supersectional. But he received encouragement from teammate Noah Delgado, who plays at St. Leo in Florida, and Bass got back on track.
“That slump was crucial to me because it showed me that this game isn’t simple,” Bass said. “It was great to have someone there to reassure me. You need people around you who care.”
Bass has become one of those people for the Spartans.
“Now being one of the old guys in the dugout, it’s kind of cool,” he said. “It means a lot to be passing the knowledge I have down.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.