Two Division I schools offered Ethan Conrad a baseball scholarship coming out of Saugerties High in 2022: Marist University and Albany University.

Conrad holds no grudges about being missed and chalks it up to not getting enough exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic. His former coach at Saugerties, Michael Pugliese, respectfully, has a different take.

“Ethan was tremendously overlooked, and I was shocked he didn’t get more looks,” Pugliese said. “I don’t think the colleges understood how hard of a worker that he is, how committed that he is and the physical skills that he has.”

The famed Chicago Cubs get it.

Chicago drafted Conrad, 21, last summer in the first round (17th overall) of the Major League Baseball draft out of Wake Forest University and signed him for $3.56 million.

How much did the Cubs like Conrad? They invested seven figures in a talented player coming off shoulder surgery.

“The fact that the Cubs trust me so much and believe in me makes me feel good,” said Conrad, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound outfielder. “I think the risk they took on me is worth it and I am going to do everything that I can to prove them right. There has been a lot of excitement since I was drafted and now, I am just ready to go out there and play.”

Conrad did not play in the Cubs organization last summer after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in April. He sustained the injury while diving for a ball while playing for Wake Forest. Conrad hit .372 in 21 games for Wake Forest with seven home runs, eight doubles, and 27 RBI.

Ethan Conrad while playing at Wake Forest last year.

Despite missing a year, Baseball America has named Conrad as the Cubs’ breakout candidate for 2026. The publication cites two main reasons Conrad could make a move: a return to health that positions him as a potential Top 100 prospect, given his profile as a well-rounded player with an above-average hit tool, and his track record of consistent production across college and summer league play.

After the Cubs drafted Conrad, Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter called him “a five-tool player who is a gamer.”

There aren’t many five-tool players in the game today. The list includes Mookie Betts, Elly De La Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez and Mike Trout.

“Ethan will be a guy who will play in the big leagues for a long time and is a potential All-Star,” Walter added. “His bat-to-ball skills are elite, and he is just scratching the surface of his power potential.”

After graduating from Saugerties, Conrad went on to play at Marist College, where he led the NCAA in triples as a sophomore in 2024. His achievements earned him multiple honors, including First Team All-MAAC and a spot on the MAAC All-Championship Team. Knowing he wanted to be drafted, Conrad entered the NCAA’s transfer portal and received interest from several schools, narrowing his choices down to Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

Conrad said he realized his full potential in the summer of 2024 when he earned All-Star MVP honors with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League. He batted .385 against elite pitching and received the attention of MLB scouts.

“That’s when I knew the sky is the limit,” Conrad said. “I was able to compete with the best of the best in the Cape Cod League, and it gave me a lot of confidence going to Wake Forest. I just continued to do my thing and try to get better and evolve as a player.”

Conrad has been healthy for three months and reports to the Cubs’ spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona next week. He expects to start the season with one of their Class A teams and hopes to have the breakout year that so many think is possible for him.