2025 Northwest Herald Baseball Player of the Year: McHenry’s Brandon Shannon

Brandon Shannon says he was “nothing special” as a baseball player three years ago.

Funny, since the hard-throwing righty was nothing but special in leading the way this season for a team that put together the most special season in McHenry baseball history.

That’s saying something, mind you, considering the Warriors win 20-plus games every season and are a perennial power in the formidable Fox Valley Conference.

Much like his team, Shannon, who is committed to the University of Louisville but could be drafted by an MLB team next month, enjoyed a historic season. He became McHenry’s all-time wins leader (26) and set the school record for strikeouts (111) in a single season.

He was at his best when he pitched six-plus innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts in a 4-1 win over Brother Rice in the Class 4A state semifinals. It was the first win ever at state for McHenry, which won a school-record 36 games before losing to Libertyville in the state title game.

Shannon, a 6-foot-4, 180-pounder who dominated with a low-90-mph fastball and a sick slider, finished 12-0 with a 0.82 ERA for the FVC champs. He is the 2025 Northwest Herald Baseball Player of the Year in a vote by the sports staff with input from local coaches. Prairie Ridge senior first baseman Karson Stiefer, who hit .517, also was considered for the honor.

Shannon recently spoke with sports reporter Joe Aguilar about the MLB Draft Combine he attended last week, his prospects of getting drafted, McHenry’s season and why he chose Louisville.

You were one of more than 300 players to participate in the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix. What did they have you do?

Shannon: A lot of medical stuff, a lot of measuring, a lot of physicals and all that stuff. I did not [throw]. I didn’t even touch a baseball when I was down there. ... Just a couple of [interviews] with some teams.

Did you come away with any idea about whether you’ll be drafted and, if so, which round?

Shannon: I don’t really know if I’m going to be drafted, but the next couple of weeks I’ll get a better idea so I can make the best informed decision I can. I’m just keeping an open mind and enjoying the ride while I’m on it.

What advice have your parents, Duane and Lisa, given you about the possibility of having to decide between signing with a professional team or going to college?

Shannon: They might, honestly, be a little bit more nervous than I am. They just remind me to stay humble, stay grounded, and that not every kid gets the opportunity to get drafted high or even at all, especially at my age [18]. I’m grateful every day.

When did the MLB scouts start showing up at your high school games to watch you pitch?

Shannon: MLB scouts started coming out first game senior year and on. I didn’t pay too much attention [to which teams were there]. The first game there were probably about 15 [scouts], the second game there were probably about 20, and then every game from that there were maybe 10.

When did you realize that you’re good at baseball?

Shannon: I was pretty much nothing freshman year. I was nothing sophomore year. I did get called up to varsity [sophomore year], but I just felt very average. I didn’t feel like [teammates] Kaden Wasniewski [sophomore] or Carver Cohn [freshman], where they’re already studs. I was nothing special. Junior year I got much better. I saw my opportunity to really be something special when I went 10-0, and that really kick-started everything. Senior year just went crazy.

Do you remember the first time your fastball hit 90 mph on the radar gun?

Shannon: I do remember that. The first time ever hitting 90 [mph] was at some McHenry preseason showcase [going into junior year]. It was the first showcase I had ever done, and I really surprised myself. I hit like 90.2 [mph], and I was like, ‘That’s very interesting.’ I didn’t think much of it.

How many scholarship offers did you have before you committed to Louisville at the end of your junior year?

Shannon: I had three offers: I had an offer from Louisville, ISU [Illinois State] and Northern Illinois. I never thought I was good enough [to be offered by Louisville]. I threw 88-92 [mph] junior season when they scouted me. I never thought they would offer me, so when they did, I instantly took it, with pretty much no hesitation.

Baseball is your only sport, but you’re fast and were used as a pinch runner in several games this season. Where does your athleticism come from?

Shannon: I don’t know where it comes from. My dad [who grew up in McHenry] was really into football when he was in high school. My mom [who grew up in Wisconsin] was into volleyball when she was in high school. My sister [Megan] played high school volleyball and soccer. My brother [Nolan] played basketball and baseball. He was really good at everything he did.

What was your favorite game of the season?

Shannon: My favorite game was Brother Rice [state semifinals at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet], for sure. Our team had never made it to that point, and I got the opportunity to pitch against the best team in Illinois across [several years], against the best offense, by far. Just everything about Brother Rice. It was like, ‘I get to pitch against them, and I get to show them who I am, show them who McHenry is.’ My stuff was there, the crowd was there. Just the adrenaline. Big stage. Everything about it was awesome.

What teammate maybe didn’t get enough recognition this season?

Shannon: I actually want to give two players [recognition]. I really think [senior pitcher] Bryson Elbrecht stepped up. If he didn’t pitch as many games as he did and do as well as he did, I don’t think we would have been as successful as we were. ... As for an underclassmen, we all know that Kaden [Wasniewski] and Carver [Cohn] have so much potential to just break a lot of records at McHenry and do amazing. I really liked playing with [sophomore second baseman] Landon [Clements]. Defensively, he was a stud. I don’t know how many ground balls that he fielded for me, where it was like, ‘I don’t know how he got to it,’ And offensively, he stepped up beyond belief.

Will you be disappointed if you don’t get drafted?

Shannon: No matter what I choose, no matter where the money’s at, I don’t think I’m going to be disappointed at all. I’m just going to be grateful for whatever opportunity that comes my way.