Despite injury setbacks, Ethan Conrad's elite skills and speed hint at a rapid ascent through prospect rankings and onto the top 100 lists.
Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline came out with their annual prospect rankings ahead of the season earlier this week.
And to no surprise, the Chicago Cubs weren’t featured much in either of those top 100 prospect rankings. The Cubs only had two prospects ranked inside the top 100 on both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.
Those two prospects were Moises Ballerstros and Jaxon Wiggins. Ballerstros was ranked No. 36 on Baseball America and No. 55 on MLB Pipeline, and Wiggins was ranked No. 78 on Baseball America and No. 58 on MLB Pipeline.
However, one Cubs prospect could soon find himself on these rankings. That prospect is outfielder Ethan Conrad, who Chicago selected in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Now, it’s not a total surprise to see Conrad left off both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings heading into the 2026 season. The former Wake Forest star only played 21 games in his final college season and didn’t play in any Minor League games after being drafted last year.
Conrad missed most of the 2025 college baseball season due to a shoulder injury he suffered while diving for a ball in the outfield. He was soon diagnosed with a labrum tear and underwent surgery shortly after.
Despite that injury risk, the Cubs got tremendous value for Conrad at pick No. 17.
He’s a player who displayed elite contact skills throughout college and has the speed to be a threat on the basepaths. Although there are some concerns about his plate discipline, Conrad could quickly rise up prospect rankings.
In his last college season, he slashed .372/.495/.744 with seven home runs, eight doubles, 27 RBI, four stolen bases, and 18 walks across 97 plate appearances. If he had stayed healthy for the entire year, he could have gone in the top 10 in last year’s draft.
Conrad also finished second in batting average (.385) and second in OPS (.919) in the Cape Cod League in 2024. Appearing in 30 games in the most competitive college wooden bat tournament, the lefty swinging outfielder hit .385 with two home runs, 19 doubles, and 19 stolen bases.
With Conrad now set to enter his first full season in the Minors, it might not be long until he lands on both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect rankings. Baseball America actually believes it can happen if he returns to full strength.
Just watching Conrad swing a bat at Cubs camp a few days ago, it’s clear that he has the tools to land on these prospect rankings very soon.