Conor Essenburg satisfied himself that he might stay a cool buyer all through the MLB draft.
However when Essenburg, an outfielder/pitcher who graduated this spring from Lincoln-Manner West, heard his title referred to as Monday, the second was overwhelming.
“I wasn’t anticipating it in any respect, so it hit me like a prepare,” Essenburg stated. “I wasn’t anticipating to cry in any way, however as soon as I heard my title on the TV and noticed my image up there, I got here to a second of realization like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really obtained drafted. That is insane.’
“I’ve to confess there have been some tears. This has been my dream since I used to be a bit child. It lastly got here true. I’m simply tremendous pumped.”
Essenburg, the 2025 Day by day Southtown Baseball Participant of the Yr, was taken by the Atlanta Braves within the fifth spherical with the 157th general decide.
Though he had dedicated to Kentucky, Essenburg plans to signal with the Braves and forgo school.
“I’m extraordinarily excited to be part of the Braves group,” Essenburg stated. “I’ve solely heard nice issues about them. Even the gamers they’ve on the crew now, I’m tremendous pumped about them and hopefully I get the prospect to satisfy them. That might be superior.
“All my glory to God. He’s given me so many abilities right here and the flexibility to do every thing that I’ve finished.”
Essenburg anticipated a bit longer of a wait. He stated he didn’t study of Atlanta’s plans to draft him till moments earlier than the decide was made.
“I used to be speaking to my agent,” Essenburg stated. “We had an expectation for one spherical later for a unique crew after which I came upon the Braves have been taking me actually 10 seconds earlier than the decide went in. Actually, it was loopy.”
Lincoln-Manner West coach Jake Zajc was thrilled for his standout pupil.
“It’s superior,” Zajc stated. “It’s an important day. To have a participant be capable to undergo this after which to really have it occur, it’s nice. This can be a objective he set out 5 or 6 years and all of it got here to fruition (Monday).”
Zajc stated he knew even earlier than Essenburg began his profession with the Warriors that he could possibly be a future professional.
“He had particular qualities and particular expertise and a few energy even when he was youthful, plus his hand velocity and his competitiveness,” Zajc stated. “Typically, you’ve children who get these expertise and so they don’t work arduous to construct on them.
“Conor’s a child who had these preliminary expertise after which labored actually arduous to enhance on all of these expertise.”
Essenburg thrived as a two-way star at Lincoln-Manner West over the past three seasons and put collectively his greatest efficiency this spring.
As a senior, Essenburg batted .464 with 42 runs, 11 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 10 homers and 49 RBIs. On the mound, he completed 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA and a whopping 94 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.
MLB.com analyst Jim Callis, throughout a stream of the draft, stated some groups preferred Essenburg as a pitcher whereas others seen him as an outfielder. The Braves introduced him because the latter.
“As a hitter, he’s obtained an opportunity to an opportunity to have 20-homer energy,” Callis stated.
This spring, Essenburg stated he would like to be a place participant within the professionals, calling pitching his “backup plan.”
“I’m in love with hitting,” Essenburg stated at the moment.
After being drafted, he’ll get an opportunity to place that keenness on show as a professional.
“If you concentrate on it, there’s nothing higher on this world than getting paid to play baseball each single day of your life,” Essenburg stated. “Clearly, I’ve beloved this sport since I used to be a bit child and this has at all times been my dream.
“Now, I’m getting paid to play it. That’s simply superior, and I’m simply extraordinarily pumped up and able to get going.”
