The Diamondbacks have three picks on the first day of baseball's draft, starting with the No. 18 overall selection.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Diamondbacks selected prep shortstop Kayson Cunningham with their top pick in the MLB draft at No. 18 overall on Sunday, July 13.
Cunningham, 19, who was taken out of Lady Bird Johnson High in San Antonio, Texas, fits the mold of many recent Diamondbacks’ draft picks.
He is somewhat undersized (listed at 5-foot-10 but said to be shorter than that), plays an up-the-middle position and has shown a knack for hitting, with some publications calling him perhaps the best pure hitter of this year’s high school draft class.
Per Baseball America, Cunningham, a left-handed hitter, has a “quick, efficient and adjustable swing that has allowed him to perform at a high level against top arms in the class for years.”
Just how much power he will produce seems to be an open question, with some evaluators seeing a swing more geared for line drives than pop. There are also questions about whether he might have to move off shortstop, with some scouts anticipating a shift to second base, per MLB.com's scouting report.
The Diamondbacks still have two picks remaining on the first day. They pick 29th overall, a comp pick for the loss of free-agent Christian Walker, and will go again at No. 92 overall, which is their third-round pick. They forfeited their second-round pick when they signed right-hander Corbin Burnes.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DBacks take high school shortstop in first round of draft
Category: Baseball
