McHenry’s Brandon Shannon goes unselected in MLB draft

The pitcher who has the most wins in McHenry baseball history couldn’t lose.

In somewhat of a surprise, Brandon Shannon went unselected in this week’s Major League Baseball draft. Not surprisingly, the 6-foot-4 right-hander was fine with what played out during the draft.

He was in a win-win situation, after all.

Shannon, who committed to pitch for NCAA Division I University of Louisville after his junior season last year, already is on campus in Kentucky and has had two weeks of classes.

“I’m in the groove of things now,” Shannon said.

Considered to be potentially selected Sunday night, when MLB conducted the first three rounds of the draft in Atlanta, Shannon said the San Diego Padres called him. As other high school players with similar potential have done in the past, Shannon placed a dollar amount on what he needed to be offered by an MLB team in order for him to consider giving up his chance to play college baseball on scholarship.

He did not want to reveal his dollar number.

“I thought the Padres were going to take me in the third round, but it wasn’t my number,” Shannon said. “It was respectable, but it wasn’t my number, so I said no. They drafted someone else, which is OK. A couple of other teams were interested.”

The Padres concluded Day 1 – rounds 4-20 were held Monday – by drafting Western Kentucky outfielder Ryan Wideman with the 99th overall pick. The draft’s slot value for the 99th selection is $773,100. Teams can offer a draft pick more money or less.

“I was OK with going to college, so I set my number high,” Shannon said. “I knew if I didn’t get selected at that number, I was going to be OK with going to college because that’s what I originally wanted to do.”

Shannon said he thought there was a chance he still could be drafted early on Day 2. When he wasn’t, he figured he would not be drafted at all.

Illinois high school players Cameron Appenzeller (Chatham Glenwood, Tennessee commit) and Jack Bauer (Lincoln-Way East, Mississippi State commit) were in a similar situation as Shannon. They also did not get drafted.

“The Padres really liked me,” Shannon said. “The Giants liked me. The Braves liked me. The Cubs were here and there. Honestly, not too many teams [showed interest]. ... Once the third round passed, I was a little bummed out, but at the same time, it wasn’t the end of the world.”

Shannon enjoyed a record-setting season in the spring for McHenry. The fireballer went 12-0 with a 0.82 ERA and school-record 111 strikeouts in 68⅓ innings. His six-inning effort against Brother Rice gave McHenry a berth in the Class 4A state-title game for the first time in program history.

Shannon graduated with a school-record 26 wins in a three-year varsity career.

The 2025 Northwest Herald Baseball Player of the Year’s commitment to Louisville was important to him.

“I was really loyal,” Shannon said. “I was so hyped up [to play for Louisville], and I really wanted to go to college, play college baseball and be part of like a brotherhood of a college team.”

Shannon talked to his adviser before the draft, and they were on the same page.

“He was fine with me coming to college because the coaches really like me here,” Shannon said. “I feel welcomed. I feel like I’m already getting along with some of the upperclassmen. I feel at home here.”