Wake Forest OF Ethan Conrad To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

Image credit: Ethan Conrad (Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics)

Wake Forest junior center fielder Ethan Conrad, Baseball America’s No. 22 overall 2025 draft prospect, will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the remainder of the season, multiple sources confirmed to BA on Monday.

Keith Law of The Athletic was first to report Conrad’s injury.

Conrad will undergo the procedure Thursday in New York with Dr. Christopher S. Ahmad, the head team physician for the Yankees.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound lefthanded hitter who transferred to Wake Forest from Marist over the offseason, Conrad was enjoying a breakout season before suffering his injury. In 21 games, he batted .372/.495/.744 with seven home runs, eight doubles, 27 RBIs and more walks (18) than strikeouts (14).

Conrad was on pace to blow away his previous career highs in the aforementioned categories, all of which he set a year earlier in his final season at Marist.

BA tabbed Conrad as its No. 16 transfer portal entrant this offseason after he slashed .389/.467/.704 with 18 doubles, a nation-leading 13 triples, nine home runs and 52 RBIs in 55 games in 2024. He also showed off his advanced contact skills with a 91% overall in-zone contact rate.

Conrad was tracking to be a first-round pick prior to his injury.

“I am going to go with a premium position guy who was relatively unknown last year but has proven to be a better hitter now at Wake Forest,” an anonymous scout told BA after drafting Conrad eighth overall in a mock draft last month. “I’m very intrigued with his extra-base hit ability and his ability to defend, as well, at a premium position. I think he is a plus hitter with above-average power who’s an above-average defender and runner in center field. It is hard to find guys like this at a premium position, which supports him going this high in the draft.”

While Conrad’s season-ending injury will surely make it more difficult to sustain, Wake Forest picked up plenty of momentum as it passed the midway point of its regular season after trouncing then-No. 6 Florida State in two of three games in their Week 8 meeting.

The Demon Deacons are currently ranked No. 12 in BA’s latest Top 25.