Cade Hunter Stats & Scouting Report

AB	368
AVG	.196
OBP	.304
SLG	.296
HR	7

Full name Cade William Hunter
Born 11/29/2000 in Meadowbrook, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Virginia Tech
Drafted in the 5th round (153rd overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 (signed for $362,100).

View Draft Report

The son of Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter, Cade was a 35th-round pick of the Rockies in 2019 coming out of high school. He’ll go much higher this year after showing plenty of lefty power on the best Virginia Tech team in school history. After missing significant time in 2021 because of a hamate injury, Hunter has done a better job of using the whole field this year, demonstrating all-fields power. A third of his home runs this year were pulled, a third went to center field and a third were hit to left field. It’s a power-first approach at the plate. Hunter feasts on fastballs, but has yet to show consistent ability to recognize and handle breaking balls. He’s a significantly better hitter against righthanders. Hunter’s lifetime around the game shows as a catcher with solid leadership skills and the ability to work with pitchers. He has a quick transfer and accurate arm that will flash pop times around 1.9 seconds at his best. He has embraced the one-knee setup and gotten better at handling borderline pitches, especially low in the zone. He will need to continue to work to become a quieter receiver.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The Reds' catching situation was a disaster in 2022. After Tyler Stephenson was sidelined with an injury, Cincinnati ran through catcher after catcher at the big league level. None of the replacements stuck, and when the season ended, they dumped all of them off the 40-man roster. Not coincidentally, the Reds drafted two catchers, Logan Tanner and Hunter, in the top five rounds in 2022. Hunter is the son of Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter.

Scouting Report: While Tanner is a glove-first catcher who faces questions about his bat, Hunter is a bat-first catcher who hears concerns about his glove. He mashed at Virginia Tech in 2022, hitting 17 home runs in 2022 before adding three in 14 games as a pro. Hunter will sacrifice some batting average to get to that above-average power, but it's a useful trade. He's improved as a receiver, as he's starting to better handle pitches on the edge of the strike zone. He has a plus arm and quick transfer to help slow down basestealers. With average speed, Hunter runs very well for a catcher.

The Future: Lefthanded-hitting catchers who can hit for power are hard to find. Hunter's impressive debut raises hopes that he can develop into Tyler Stephenson's heir apparent in a few years.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 55. Field: 45. Run: 50. Arm: 60.

Draft Prospects

School: Virginia Tech Committed/Drafted: Rockies ’19 (35)
Age At Draft: 21.6
BA Grade: 45/High
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
The son of Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter, Cade was a 35th-round pick of the Rockies in 2019 coming out of high school. He’ll go much higher this year after showing plenty of lefty power on the best Virginia Tech team in school history. After missing significant time in 2021 because of a hamate injury, Hunter has done a better job of using the whole field this year, demonstrating all-fields power. A third of his home runs this year were pulled, a third went to center field and a third were hit to left field. It’s a power-first approach at the plate. Hunter feasts on fastballs, but has yet to show consistent ability to recognize and handle breaking balls. He’s a significantly better hitter against righthanders. Hunter’s lifetime around the game shows as a catcher with solid leadership skills and the ability to work with pitchers. He has a quick transfer and accurate arm that will flash pop times around 1.9 seconds at his best. He has embraced the one-knee setup and gotten better at handling borderline pitches, especially low in the zone. He will need to continue to work to become a quieter receiver.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The Reds' catching situation was a disaster in 2022. After Tyler Stephenson was sidelined with an injury, Cincinnati ran through catcher after catcher at the big league level. None of the replacements stuck, and when the season ended, they dumped all of them off the 40-man roster. Not coincidentally, the Reds drafted two catchers, Logan Tanner and Hunter, in the top five rounds in 2022. Hunter is the son of Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter.

Scouting Report: While Tanner is a glove-first catcher who faces questions about his bat, Hunter is a bat-first catcher who hears concerns about his glove. He mashed at Virginia Tech in 2022, hitting 17 home runs in 2022 before adding three in 14 games as a pro. Hunter will sacrifice some batting average to get to that above-average power, but it's a useful trade. He's improved as a receiver, as he's starting to better handle pitches on the edge of the strike zone. He has a plus arm and quick transfer to help slow down basestealers. With average speed, Hunter runs very well for a catcher.

The Future: Lefthanded-hitting catchers who can hit for power are hard to find. Hunter's impressive debut raises hopes that he can develop into Tyler Stephenson's heir apparent in a few years.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 55. Field: 45. Run: 50. Arm: 60.
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The Reds' catching situation was a disaster in 2022. After Tyler Stephenson was sidelined with an injury, Cincinnati ran through catcher after catcher at the big league level. None of the replacements stuck, and when the season ended, they dumped all of them off the 40-man roster. Not coincidentally, the Reds drafted two catchers, Logan Tanner and Hunter, in the top five rounds in 2022. Hunter is the son of Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter.

Scouting Report: While Tanner is a glove-first catcher who faces questions about his bat, Hunter is a bat-first catcher who hears concerns about his glove. He mashed at Virginia Tech in 2022, hitting 17 home runs in 2022 before adding three in 14 games as a pro. Hunter will sacrifice some batting average to get to that above-average power, but it's a useful trade. He's improved as a receiver, as he's starting to better handle pitches on the edge of the strike zone. He has a plus arm and quick transfer to help slow down basestealers. With average speed, Hunter runs very well for a catcher.

The Future: Lefthanded-hitting catchers who can hit for power are hard to find. Hunter's impressive debut raises hopes that he can develop into Tyler Stephenson's heir apparent in a few years.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 55. Field: 45. Run: 50. Arm: 60.