diff --git a/docs/changelog/137744.yaml b/docs/changelog/137744.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..07785a1247004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/137744.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pr: 137744
+summary: Catch `DateTimeException` in `EsqlDataTypeConverter`
+area: ES|QL
+type: bug
+issues:
+ - 137741
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/type/EsqlDataTypeConverter.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/type/EsqlDataTypeConverter.java
index a10094dd93997..87cfe68921c14 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/type/EsqlDataTypeConverter.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/type/EsqlDataTypeConverter.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
+import java.time.DateTimeException;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.time.Period;
@@ -616,20 +617,36 @@ public static BytesRef stringToSpatial(String field) {
     }
 
     public static long dateTimeToLong(String dateTime) {
-        return DEFAULT_DATE_TIME_FORMATTER.parseMillis(dateTime);
+        try {
+            return DEFAULT_DATE_TIME_FORMATTER.parseMillis(dateTime);
+        } catch (DateTimeException e) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
+        }
     }
 
     public static long dateTimeToLong(String dateTime, DateFormatter formatter) {
-        return formatter == null ? dateTimeToLong(dateTime) : formatter.parseMillis(dateTime);
+        try {
+            return formatter == null ? dateTimeToLong(dateTime) : formatter.parseMillis(dateTime);
+        } catch (DateTimeException e) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
+        }
     }
 
     public static long dateNanosToLong(String dateNano) {
-        return dateNanosToLong(dateNano, DEFAULT_DATE_NANOS_FORMATTER);
+        try {
+            return dateNanosToLong(dateNano, DEFAULT_DATE_NANOS_FORMATTER);
+        } catch (DateTimeException e) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
+        }
     }
 
     public static long dateNanosToLong(String dateNano, DateFormatter formatter) {
-        Instant parsed = DateFormatters.from(formatter.parse(dateNano)).toInstant();
-        return DateUtils.toLong(parsed);
+        try {
+            Instant parsed = DateFormatters.from(formatter.parse(dateNano)).toInstant();
+            return DateUtils.toLong(parsed);
+        } catch (DateTimeException e) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
+        }
     }
 
     public static String dateWithTypeToString(long dateTime, DataType type) {