Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

A slightly bigger and lefty-swinging version of Jett Williams, a Texas prep shortstop who went 14th overall to the Mets in 2022, Cunningham was a better pure hitter at the same stage and perhaps the best in the 2025 prep class. He led Team USA with a .417 average at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama last August, won USA Baseball's Player of the Year award in 2024 and Gatorade state Player of the Year accolades this spring. He went to the D-backs with the 18th overall pick and signed for slot value at $4,581,900.

Cunningham has exceptional barrel control and rarely swings and misses. He has a mature approach, covers the entire strike zone and utilizes the whole field. Though he's not physical, his bat speed and ability to repeatedly barrel balls should enable him to get to 15-20 homers per season.

Cunningham has plus speed and plays with a lot of energy on the bases and in the field. He has displayed good actions and solid-to-plus arm strength in the past but has seemed less twitchy at shortstop this spring, and many scouts believe he'll wind up moving to second base. As a 5-foot-10 lefty swinger, he very much falls in line with Arizona’s recent trends of taking undersized athletes who could play up the middle.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

A slightly bigger and lefty-swinging version of Jett Williams, a Texas prep shortstop who went 14th overall to the Mets in 2022, Cunningham is a better pure hitter at the same stage and perhaps the best in the 2025 prep class. He led Team USA with a .417 average at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama last August, won USA Baseball's player of the year award in 2024 and Gatorade state player of the year accolades this spring.

Cunningham has exceptional barrel control and rarely swings and misses. He has a mature approach, covers the entire strike zone and utilizes the whole field. Though he's not physical, his bat speed and ability to repeatedly barrel balls should enable him to get to 15-20 homers per season.

Cunningham has plus speed and plays with a lot of energy on the bases and in the field. He has displayed good actions and solid-to-plus arm strength in the past but has seemed less twitchy at shortstop this spring, and many scouts believe he'll wind up moving to second base. He'll be 19 on Draft Day and eligible as a sophomore in 2027 if he attends Texas.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/19/2025	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to Visalia Rawhide from ACL D-backs.
	08/04/2025	ACL D-backs activated SS Kayson Cunningham.
	07/22/2025	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to ACL D-backs.
	07/21/2025	Arizona Diamondbacks signed SS Kayson Cunningham.
	05/26/2025	College Workout activated SS Kayson Cunningham.
	09/10/2024	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to High School Workout.
	08/16/2024	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to High School Workout.
	08/12/2024	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to High School Workout.
	06/30/2024	High School Workout activated SS Kayson Cunningham.
	09/19/2023	States Play - East activated SS Kayson Cunningham.
	09/19/2023	States Play - East activated SS Kayson Cunningham.
	08/16/2023	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to High School Workout.
	07/21/2023	SS Kayson Cunningham assigned to TSA South.