The Chicago Cubs took an intriguing approach in the 2025 MLB Draft, selecting 16 college players across the 20 rounds. With a clear focus on pitching and high-upside talent, their strategy is already showing promise as six of their draft picks have landed on the organization’s first Top 30 prospects list released after the draft.
Six Chicago Cubs 2025 MLB Draft picks land in top 30 prospect list rankings
Entering the top 30 prospect list rankings, per MLB Pipeline, are each of the Cubs first six selections from the 2025 draft. Here are those players, where they are ranked, and what round they were selected in:
- No. 6: Ethan Conrad, OF (first round of Draft)
- No. 12: Kane Kepley, OF (second round of Draft)
- No. 13: Kaleb Wing, RHP (fourth round of Draft)
- No. 15: Josiah Hartshorn, OF (sixth round of Draft)
- No. 18: Dominick Reid, RHP (third round of Draft)
- No. 20: Kade Snell, OF (fifth round of Draft)
What are scouts saying about Ethan Conrad?
While all of the Cubs first six draft picks have great potential, first round picks seem to generate the most buzz, but also have the most expectations placed on them due to when they were selected. Here is MLB Pipeline’s write up of Ethan Conrad, the team’s first round pick in 2025.
Conrad slashed .389/.467/.704 with nine homers and a NCAA Division I-leading 13 triples (including a record four in one game) at Marist in 2024, then finished second in the Cape Cod League in batting (.385) and OPS (.919). After transferring to Wake Forest, he continued to rake this spring until injuring his throwing shoulder diving for a ball in March and having season-ending surgery a month later. He featured some of the best all-around ability in the college class and went 17th overall in the Draft, signing for a below-slot $3,563,100.
Conrad makes repeated contact with a simple left-handed swing and gap-to-gap approach. He’s an aggressive hitter who chases all types of pitches out of the zone, yet his uncanny hand-eye coordination helps him compensate. A physical 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he has the strength and solid bat speed to provide at least average power, though there are some concerns that he doesn’t drive balls in the air to his pull side very often.
Conrad is a threat to steal and will flash some plus run times, but his speed plays more as solid. Though he spent most of his sophomore season at first base, he covers plenty of ground on the outfield corners and is capable in center field. He has average arm strength and probably fits best in right field.
Cubs sleeper pick left out of the top 30
After the draft concluded, the Cubs seventh round draft pick Pierce Coppola was labeled as a sleeper pick to watch. The left-handed pitcher struggled mightily with injuries while at Florida University, but when healthy the 6’8″ southpaw topped out at 96 MPH and struck out batters at a 15:51 K:9 clip throughout his collegiate career.
Chicago Cubs activate two important players from the IL ahead of Blue Jays series
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
