Lincoln-Way West star Conor Essenburg drafted in 5th round by the Atlanta Braves

There was no doubt that Conor Essenburg improved his draft stock with his outstanding senior season on the diamond. Just how much, though? Enough to get him picked 70 spots higher than he was projected.

Essenburg, the back-to-back Herald-News Baseball Player of the Year, was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves on Monday. Ranked as the 221st prospect by MLB.com, the Lincoln-Way West star went 157th overall.

“I’m just happy for him,” Lincoln-Way West coach Jake Zajc said. “This was a goal he set out for himself five years ago.”

As a junior in 2024, Essenburg scorched the stat sheet. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder and pitcher struck out 101 batters and finished with an ERA of 1.48 while batting .388 with 29 RBIs. That earned him a scholarship offer from Kansas State.

In 2025, he switched his commitment to Kentucky and certainly played like a future SEC star. His ERA went down to 0.94 in 44⅔ innings and 94 strikeouts. His WHIP was 0.918 and he allowed 18 hits. At the plate, he was deadly, slashing .464/.591/.909, homering 10 times, the same number of times he struck out. He added 49 RBIs and 42 runs.

As the 151st pick, Essenburg’s value is projected at $438,600 dollars. ESPN draft analyst Kiley McDaniel had Essenburg ranked 200th among his top prospects, so to see him go 151st increases the chances he opts to go professional.

He told the Herald-News in late June that he was undecided on whether he’d head to Kentucky or go pro.

“It’s going to be a really hard decision,” he said. “At the end of the day, though, I’m going to be taking a really good path either way.”

If he does opt to go pro, he’d be going to one of the most respected organizations in professional baseball.

The Braves have won four World Series titles, two since their 1966 move to Atlanta in 1995 and 2021. They were known as “The Team of the ’90s” for their continuous success and hold the MLB record for consecutive postseason appearances with 14 from 1991-2005. They won the NL pennant five times in the ’90s.

As the 2021 title would imply, they’re not just a successful team of old. They made the postseason every year from 2018 to 2023. Injuries and consistency issues have led to a slide this year, however, as they sit at 42-53, fourth in the NL East standings, 12½ games back from first and 9½ out of the last wild-card spot.

As a high school player, Essenburg wouldn’t have to worry about contributing at the MLB level for years. That is, of course, if he goes pro at all. He could still join former Lincoln-Way East star Tyler Bell in Lexington after the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament last season, their third year in a row making the tourney.

Essenburg was listed as an outfielder on the MLB.com website, but whether he plays there, pitches or does both is still up in the air. He told the Herald-News in June that his plan is to do both “until someone tells me not to.”

Lincoln-Way West went 28-8 last season with Essenburg leading the way.