Kayson Cunningham is a lefthanded-hitting high school position player who makes a lot of contact, runs well, plays up the middle and stands under 6 feet tall.
And so, of course, the Diamondbacks drafted him, taking him 18th overall out of Johnson High in San Antonio.
“I think the draft sometimes dictates who you take,” D-backs assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye said. “But I think also we’re maybe trying to stay disciplined to some of the things we’ve had some success with.”
Arizona under GM Mike Hazen have had a good track record with that demographic. Corbin Carroll is a franchise cornerstone. Alek Thomas is an everyday center fielder. Slade Caldwell, last year’s first-rounder, is off to an encouraging start.
The organization also drafted righthanded-hitting Matt McLain, now the Reds’ second baseman, out of high school in the first round in 2018 but didn’t sign him.
“I think we’ve had success taking these types of hitters,” Hazen said. “The characteristics and traits we value—from a hitting standpoint, specifically—Cunningham does all that stuff for us.”
They even believe that, like many of the other undersized hitters they’ve taken, he packs more punch. They saw him drive balls against good competition on the showcase circuit.
They also saw him do it against Pirates ace Paul Skenes—sort of.
During a pre-draft workout at Chase Field, Cunningham asked to take the Trajekt pitching machine for a spin—and asked to face Skenes. Cunningham said he put a good swing on a ball, generating a 114 mph exit velocity.
“Their mouths were like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” Cunningham said, recalling how D-backs officials reacted. “They didn’t really know what to say, honestly.”
The D-backs are high on Cunningham’s ability to remain at shortstop. Team officials understand why others might not see a shortstop when they look at Cunningham’s build, but they believe he has the hands, arm and athleticism to make it work.