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Taking a Deeper Look at Cubs’ First 3 Draft Picks

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Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft is in the books, and the Cubs made three picks in the first three rounds. Let’s do a deeper dive into those selections to see what they bring to the organization.

Round 1 (Pick 17): Ethan Conrad, Wake Forest

The Cubs love players who have succeeded in the Cape Cod Baseball League, with Matt Shaw and Cam Smith standing out as other recent examples. Conrad fits that mold, having played 30 games for the Bourne Braves in 2024. He posted a .920 OPS with 19 stolen bases during the summer circuit, putting him on the map in a big way.

The New York native attended Marist University for his first two years of college. His freshman season wasn’t amazing, with just a 97 wRC+ and a 24.5% strikeout rate, but he stole 19 bases that year. Conrad’s sophomore year was his most successful by far. The lefty lowered his strikeout rate to 12.4%, totally changing his results at the plate. His wOBA jumped up by 133 points to .510, and his183 wRC+ was a massive leap, while his .707 SLG and 169 total bases each led the MAAC in 2024.

Speed is an important aspect of Conrad’s game, and that was on full display in 2024 with Marist. He stole 19 bases for the second straight season while hitting 40 extra-base hits, including a career-high 13 triples. The center fielder’s 2025 season was cut short due to surgery on his left shoulder for an injury sustained while diving for a ball in the outfield.

He had transferred to Wake Forest for his final year before draft eligibility, but only played 21 games for them. In that short stint with the Demon Deacons, Conrad’s .526 wOBA and 18.6% walk rate showed that he was comfortable against the higher level of pitching he encountered in the ACC. It sounds like Conrad will be an under-slot pick, which gives Jed Hoyer and Dan Kantrovitz more financial flexibility as they move into Day 2 of the draft on Monday.


Round 2 (56): Kane Kepley, North Carolina

No one should be shocked when they learn that Kepley, the Cubs’ second pick on Sunday night, also played in the Cape Cod league He appeared in 38 games with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, posting a .449 OBP with 21 stolen bases.

Kepley attended Liberty University for his freshman and sophomore years of college, immediately showing off his knack for getting on base. His lowest OBP in a season was with Hyannis when he reached base at a .449 clip, a mark that would be considered remarkable for most.


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Kepley uses his speed to swipe bases, collecting 42 at Liberty. When he transferred to the University of North Carolina for his junior year, the wheels were used even more. In 61 games for the Tar Heels, the North Carolina native stole a mind-boggling 45 bases. He doesn’t chase, and can make some great defensive plays as well.

Round 3 (90): Dominick Reid, Abilene Christian University

An under-the-radar pick, Reid spent his first two years of college at Oklahoma State University. The 6-foot-3 right-handed starting pitcher only threw four innings in his freshman year, then increased his workload to 15.1 frames in 2024.

He truly broke out after transferring to Abilene Christian University, where he threw 88.1 innings in his 15 starts. Reid limited opposing hitters to a .218 average and only walked 2.75 batters per nine innings against 11.41 K/9, a nice improvement from his sophomore campaign.

Reid’s changeup is one of the best in his class. If the Cubs’ pitching lab can work on some of his other pitches, opposing offenses are in trouble.

In addition to what they bring from a pure skill standpoint, these picks may enable the Cubs to save more of their pool money than usual in order to pay over-slot bonuses in later rounds. Keep an eye out for some prep players who may need to be bought out of college commitments or other late risers who the Cubs feel have some serious underutilized tools.


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