Updated 8:45 p.m. Monday, July 15:
Former Kansas pitcher Hunter Cranton and current KU infielder Kodey Shojinaga were picked in the MLB Draft on Monday, becoming the first Jayhawks selected in five years.
“I’m really proud of Hunter and Kodey,” KU coach Dan Fitzgerald said in a press release. “Both guys are incredible workers, self starting, and ultra competitive. Their impact on KU Baseball will be felt for a long time.”
Cranton had been ranked as MLB.com’s No. 213 prospect but went 91st overall to the Seattle Mariners, at a pick with an estimated value of $812,900.
That put Cranton in a tie for the second-highest selection in program history; Curtis Shaw went 42nd to the Oakland Athletics in 1990, and the Baltimore Orioles took Jim Walker at No. 91 three years later.
Cranton, a 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher from Newport Beach, California, thrived when he moved to the bullpen for the 2024 season in his final year of eligibility, closing out a slew of important games for the Jayhawks. He racked up seven saves with a 2.16 ERA, striking out 38 batters while issuing just nine walks on the year.
He came to KU for Fitzgerald’s first season after a year at San Diego State and two at Saddleback College in California.
Cranton, who turns 24 in October, made 14 appearances for the Jayhawks in 2023, making the transition to relief pitching midway through the year. His ERA as a starter during that season was nearly five times the 2.38 he accumulated as a reliever.
Cranton’s fastball impressed draft evaluators, with his MLB prospect profile clocking it at 96-98 mph and describing it as “untouchable” due to how frequently hitters swung and missed.
Prior to picking Cranton, Seattle had taken Mississippi State’s ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje in the first round and high school pitcher Ryan Sloan in the second.
“Hunter has two legitimate major league pitches and should be a quick mover through a really awesome Mariners player development system,” Fitzgerald said in the release.
The Mariners have drafted Jayhawks on five occasions, including most recently in 2008 when they took Nick Czyz and Andres Esquibel in the 35th and 38th rounds, respectively. The draft has since been shortened to 20 rounds.
Kansas’ Kodey Shojinaga (18) during an NCAA college baseball game on Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Lawrence.
Shojinaga goes to organization with Jayhawk ties
The Philadelphia Phillies made the infielder Shojinaga the 192nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft later on Monday afternoon.
Shojinaga, 21, was draft-eligible after playing just two seasons at KU and will now face a decision about whether to go pro or return to school. The approximate value of the 192nd selection is $310,300.
The Honolulu native, who primarily played second base for the Jayhawks, may make the move back to his high school position, catcher, in the professional ranks. He could become the second KU catcher to go pro in two years after Cole Elvis signed with the Minnesota Twins as an undrafted free agent last offseason.
Shojinaga was a Big 12 freshman of the year honoree in 2023 after hitting .378 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. He nearly matched those numbers as a sophomore when he batted .339 and upped his RBI total to 46 along the way, earning a second-team all-league selection.
“Shoj had an incredible career as a Jayhawk and will undoubtedly continue to progress through a fantastic Phillies organization,” Fitzgerald said. “Kodey has elite bat to ball skills, outstanding plate discipline, and a huge capacity for work.”
He was unranked by MLB.com, which charted the top 250 prospects. That website’s scouting report on Shojinaga was critical of his skill set outside of his “repeated contact with an efficient right-handed swing”; it says “second base may be his best option” as a defensive position in the pros.
The last KU player selected by the Phillies was Colton Murray in the 13th round of the 2011 draft. The Phillies’ current major-league manager, Rob Thomson, played baseball at KU.
Shojinaga also ranks among the highest-drafted position players to come out of KU.
Depending on who else gets selected later in the draft and decides to sign, the Jayhawks appear well prepared for the possibility of Shojinaga’s departure thanks to the offseason transfer acquisition of Minnesota second baseman Brady Counsell.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
AP Photo/Colin E. Braley