Maui Ahuna Stats & Scouting Report

AB	89
AVG	.236
OBP	.355
SLG	.281
HR	1

Full name Walter Clyde Ahuna
Born 03/11/2002 in Hilo, HI
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Tennessee
Drafted in the 4th round (117th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2023 (signed for $497,500).

View Draft Report

School: Tennessee Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
BA Grade:50/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 45. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 60.

Ahuna is a Hawaii native who comes from a strong baseball tradition and was part of a banner year for Hawaiin prep prospects in 2020. He earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention after his 2021 freshman season with Kansas and then broke out massively in 2022 by hitting .396/.479/.634 with eight home runs and 16 doubles as a sophomore. Ahuna transferred to Tennessee for his 2023 junior season, and didn’t fully replicate his offensive showing in the SEC. He hit .312/.425/.537 with eight home runs, but his strikeout rate jumped from 20.8% in 2022 to 31.2% in 2023. Contact is the biggest question mark for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound lefty hitter. He had an overall miss rate of 38%, and looked confounded on off-speed stuff with lots of chases out of the strike zone. Ahuna does have whippy bat speed, but a big leg kick, steep bat path and questionable pitch recognition have created more concerns about his hit tool. He hits the ball hard and has decent power for his size, but will need to figure out a way to make more contact in pro ball. Scouting directors voted Ahuna the best defensive infielder in college entering the year and he excels at shortstop thanks to above-average speed and quickness, impressive actions, good body control as well as plus arm strength.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: After two excellent seasons at Kansas, Ahuna entered the transfer portal and became one of its most highly coveted players. He chose Tennessee but did not quite perform to the degree he did with the Jayhawks. Ahuna also had two stints in the Cape Cod League and also played for the 2022 Collegiate National Team. He played hurt for most of the season and finished with nearly as many strikeouts as he had in his previous two seasons combined. Nonetheless, the Giants banked on what they’d seen in the past and chose him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft and signed him for $497,500. He did not play after signing.

Scouting Report: After struggling in the Southeastern Conference, Ahuna’s biggest question is contact. The Giants believe some of those issues stemmed from the injury and will improve when he returns to full health but they do acknowledge that the strikeouts will need to be addressed and could be improved with simplified swing mechanics. Ideally, Ahuna will adopt a hit-first mindset and let the power, which projects as fringe-average, come naturally. He should easily stick at shortstop, where he is a plus defender with plus arm strength. Ahuna is an above-average runner.

The Future: Ahuna has the pedigree to begin the year at High-A Eugene but the Giants have a tendency to slow-cook their prospects, so he might open at Low-A San Jose. If he reaches his ceiling, he should be a standout defensive shortstop who hits toward the bottom of an order.

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

Draft Prospects

School: Tennessee Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
BA Grade:50/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 45. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 60.

Ahuna is a Hawaii native who comes from a strong baseball tradition and was part of a banner year for Hawaiin prep prospects in 2020. He earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention after his 2021 freshman season with Kansas and then broke out massively in 2022 by hitting .396/.479/.634 with eight home runs and 16 doubles as a sophomore. Ahuna transferred to Tennessee for his 2023 junior season, and didn’t fully replicate his offensive showing in the SEC. He hit .312/.425/.537 with eight home runs, but his strikeout rate jumped from 20.8% in 2022 to 31.2% in 2023. Contact is the biggest question mark for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound lefty hitter. He had an overall miss rate of 38%, and looked confounded on off-speed stuff with lots of chases out of the strike zone. Ahuna does have whippy bat speed, but a big leg kick, steep bat path and questionable pitch recognition have created more concerns about his hit tool. He hits the ball hard and has decent power for his size, but will need to figure out a way to make more contact in pro ball. Scouting directors voted Ahuna the best defensive infielder in college entering the year and he excels at shortstop thanks to above-average speed and quickness, impressive actions, good body control as well as plus arm strength.
Ahuna, whose nickname is “Maui,” is one of the most projectable shortstops in the 2020 draft class. Listed at 6-foot, 155 pounds, he is a natural shortstop with easy athleticism and the loose, natural actions for the position. He’s not particularly fast, but his advanced instincts and feel for the game allow him to get to every ball and make every play. Ahuna makes lots of contact with his handsy, lefthanded swing and isn’t fazed by big velocity, but he lacks the strength to impact the ball. He still has lots of physical gains ahead, with some scouts comparing him to Latin American teenagers who sign at 16 years old. Ahuna is a long-term bet who could pay off in a few years once he adds strength. He is committed to Kansas.

Career Transactions

San Jose Giants placed SS Maui Ahuna on the full-season injured list.
San Jose Giants placed SS Maui Ahuna on the 7-day injured list.
SS Maui Ahuna assigned to San Jose Giants from ACL Giants.
SS Maui Ahuna assigned to ACL Giants from San Jose Giants.
San Jose Giants sent SS Maui Ahuna on a rehab assignment to ACL Giants.
San Jose Giants placed SS Maui Ahuna on the 7-day injured list.
SS Maui Ahuna assigned to San Jose Giants.
SS Maui Ahuna assigned to ACL Giants Orange.
San Francisco Giants signed SS Maui Ahuna.
SS Maui Ahuna assigned to Tennessee Volunteers.

Latest Stories

Minors

New Routine Helps Diamondbacks’ JD Dix Feel Like His Best Self

A shoulder injury prevented Wisconsin prep shortstop JD Dix from playing his best. The D-backs hope a new routine has him positioned for success in pro ball.