‘Feels like home, for sure’: Chicago Cubs 1st-round draft pick Ethan Conrad visits Wrigley Field

Fireworks were going off after the Chicago Cubs drafted Ethan Conrad in the first round.

On July 13, he was gathered with family and friends at Saugerties High School field in New York, his old stomping grounds.

When the Cubs selected him at No.

17, the noise began.

And not only from those there to support him.

We went to what they call the stable and its a room in center field with an elevator and there is a porch where you can watch the game, Conrad said.

They were having a game there a team I played for my freshman year in the summer was playing and I was there with a couple of my buddies along with my family and friends over there.

We were there, waiting for the call.

And there were fireworks afterward.

And why not? Four months earlier, Conrad was told he needed shoulder surgery, and the then-junior from Wake Forest had no idea what was in store for him during the MLB draft.

He wasnt sure he would even get that call.

The 21-year-old left-handed outfielder made his first trip to Chicago on Wednesday, where he visited Wrigley Field and met some players, executives and Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

I was definitely not expecting this, Conrad said.

I wasnt sure what was going to happen.

I didnt know if I was going to go back to school or if something was going to happen.

Im just so grateful to be here, for sure.

(Its feels) awesome.

Its an unreal experience to be here and meet everyone and see the field and to be in Chicago.

Conrad was limited to 21 games last season for Wake Forest after hurting his left shoulder diving for a ball in March.

The injury was serious enough to require surgery in April.

Before the injury, the 6-foot-3 Conrad was on a roll.

He had an impressive .372/.495/.744 slash line with seven home runs, eight doubles and 27 RBIs.

The New York native had transferred to Wake Forest from Marist, where in 2024 he set an NCAA record by hitting four triples in one game against St.

Peters.

Conrad hit .389 that season and collected an NCAA-high 13 triples.

It was also a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference single-season record.

Coincidentally, Wake Forest opened the season against Marist on Feb.

14, and Conrad went 3-for-4.

While he didnt belt any triples, he did have two doubles, a walk and three RBIs.

The Cubs knew all about Conrads injury but believed he was worth drafting in the first round.

Hes somebody that, had he played out the entire season, would have been considered in the top 10 eventually in the draft, and we felt it was a pretty exceptional value in terms of getting him at No.

17, scouting director Dan Kantrovitz told reporters on a conference call the night of the draft.

We feel like hes a potentially dynamic talent, somebody who can stay in center field, somebody that hits for power, can run and average to above-average tools across the board.

Days after he signed, Conrad started rehabbing his left shoulder.

In high school, he had a similar injury and surgery on his right shoulder, so he knew the drill.

He said he cant wait to start swinging a bat again.

Im going to start swinging next week, Conrad said.

So far, there has been a lot of strength training and its good.

Its been going well.

It feels great, its just you have to be patient doing it.

But Im ready to go.

This season is lost for game competition, but he is looking forward to a few things.

I might get a few live at-bats but since there is only about a month left, Im just going to focus on being ready for next year, he said.

Meanwhile, Conrad said he hoped to be able to sample a deep-dish pizza before heading back to Arizona.

He said he grew up a New York Yankees fan and the only other time he had stepped on a major-league field was at Bostons Fenway Park for a Cape Cod League game.

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Justin Turner had Conrad laughing during a visit to the clubhouse.

Turner is a veteran and he made some jokes with me about my signing bonus, said Conrad, who inked a reported $3.6 million deal.

Conrad had a chance to talk with Counsell for a few minutes near the Cubs dugout.

Hes really cool, and we talked about playing baseball every single day and to be grateful for it and embracing it, Conrad said.

Thats really the biggest thing.

Needless to say, Conrad hopes this is not his last visit to the storied park.

Its so beautiful here, he said.

It feels like home, for sure.

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune..

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