Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The MVP of the 2019 Boras Classic as a California high school senior, Cranton sat out the 2020 season at Saddleback (Calif.) JC following shoulder surgery. He pitched sparingly in the next two years at Saddleback and San Diego State before transferring to Kansas, where he struggled as a starter in early 2023 before finding his niche as a reliever. He'll turn 24 three months after the Draft but interests clubs because his fastball has been untouchable this spring.

After working in the low 90s at the outset of his Jayhawks career, Cranton now operates with a 96-98 mph fastball that touches 100 with impressive carry. His heater ranked in the top 1 percent among college pitchers this spring in terms of chase rate (32 percent), swing-and-miss rate (38 percent) and in-zone swing-and-miss rate (30 percent). His slider parks at 86-88 mph and peaks at 91, playing as a plus pitch with depth at its best, though it can flatten out and get pounded at times.

While Cranton has a long arm action and a lot going on in his delivery, he has improved his control as a redshirt senior. He has a ceiling of a late-inning reliever and will need to improve his slider and his command to get there. He's one of the oldest players in the Draft but is equipped to move quickly in pro ball.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Sometimes teams take a college senior early on Day 2 of the Draft solely to save money for other signings. Occasionally, those bargains turn out to be pretty good. That might be the case for Cranton, who signed for just $50,000 in the third round of the 2024 Draft after a solid season saving games for Kansas. The right-hander was sent to Modesto for his pro debut, and after throwing well in the regular season, tossed four hitless innings and picked up three saves to help the Nuts win the California League title. His 2025 debut was delayed by a concussion suffered on a comebacker in Spring Training, but he was in the midst of dominating at High-A Everett when the Mariners traded him to the D-backs in the Eugenio Suárez deal in July.

Cranton has all the makings of a big league reliever. His fastball has interesting characteristics in terms of ride up in the zone and it’s a pitch that sits 97-98 mph and can top out in triple digits. His upper-80s gyro-like slider can be a plus out pitch at times, though it flattened out and got hit at Kansas occasionally.

The 24-year-old right-hander has a long arm action and moving parts in his delivery, which can impact his control and command. That improved with the Jayhawks in 2024, but it’s definitely a work in progress. If he can get to throwing more consistent strikes -- and early returns were good in that regard -- he could find himself in the back end of a big league bullpen.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Cranton has taken a circuitous route to pro ball. He missed his first season at Saddleback Junior College in California in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season following shoulder surgery. He didn’t pitch much there in 2021 and appeared in just six games after transferring to San Diego State in 2022. After not gaining much traction with a move to Kansas in 2023, he finally found some success as a redshirt senior reliever this past spring, leading the Mariners to take him as a talented money-saver in the third round, signing him for just $50,000.

Now pitching in only shorter stints, Cranton can crank his fastball up to 97-98 mph consistently and showed he can touch triple digits with the pitch. He gets hitters to whiff and chase at the offering thanks to outstanding carry. He couples it with an upper-80s gyro-like slider that can often be a plus pitch, though he got into trouble at Kansas when it flattened out and got hit.

Despite using a long arm action and a lot of moving parts in his delivery, Cranton improved his control in his final year with the Jayhawks. While he was one of the oldest players in the Draft, close to 24, he has the ceiling of a late-inning reliever if the breaking ball continues to be more consistently plus and he can keep finding the zone.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/23/2025	Amarillo Sod Poodles activated RHP Hunter Cranton from the 7-day injured list.
	08/03/2025	Amarillo Sod Poodles placed RHP Hunter Cranton on the 7-day injured list.
	08/03/2025	Amarillo Sod Poodles placed RHP Hunter Cranton on the 7-day injured list.
	08/01/2025	Amarillo Sod Poodles activated RHP Hunter Cranton.
	07/31/2025	Arizona Diamondbacks traded 3B Eugenio Suárez to Seattle Mariners for 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Hunter Cranton and RHP Juan Burgos.
	07/31/2025	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Amarillo Sod Poodles.
	06/30/2025	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Everett AquaSox from Arkansas Travelers.
	05/09/2025	Arkansas Travelers sent RHP Hunter Cranton on a rehab assignment to ACL Mariners.
	05/09/2025	Arkansas Travelers sent RHP Hunter Cranton on a rehab assignment to ACL Mariners.
	04/04/2025	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Arkansas Travelers from Modesto Nuts.
	03/14/2025	RHP Hunter Cranton roster status changed by Seattle Mariners Prospects.
	03/14/2025	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Seattle Mariners Prospects.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Hunter Cranton.
	01/30/2025	Seattle Mariners invited non-roster RHP Hunter Cranton to spring training.
	08/06/2024	Modesto Nuts activated RHP Hunter Cranton.
	08/06/2024	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Modesto Nuts.
	07/23/2024	Seattle Mariners signed RHP Hunter Cranton.
	02/22/2024	College Workout activated RHP Hunter Cranton.
	02/22/2024	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Kansas Jayhawks.
	03/15/2023	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Kansas Jayhawks.
	02/15/2022	RHP Hunter Cranton and assigned to San Diego State Aztecs.
	07/05/2021	RHP Hunter Cranton and assigned to College Workout.
	07/05/2021	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to College Workout.
	04/30/2017	RHP Hunter Cranton assigned to Mater Dei HS Monarchs.