ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School
Louisiana-Lafayette
Drafted in the 5th round (151st overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 (signed for $300,000).
View Draft Report
The coronavirus shutdown came at an extremely inopportune time for Cantrelle. After two strong seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, he looked somewhat lost at the plate in the early going this spring. Cantrelle was hitting .136/.320/.237 in 17 games. But there is reason to write that off as a rough month in an otherwise solid college career. After looking somewhat overmatched for much of the summer of 2018 in the Cape Cod League, he showed a much better approach and a more controlled swing in 2019. Playing shortstop and second base for Harwich, he finished ninth in the league with a .315 average. While he played more second base than shortstop with Harwich, Cantrelle projects as an average shortstop defensively in pro ball and an above-average defender at second. He has average arm strength but is an accurate thrower. He isn’t big, (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) but he is a plus runner. He swiped 28 bags in 32 tries as a sophomore and 19 in 21 attempts in the Cape last summer. From either side of the plate, the switch-hitting Cantrelle is a top-of-the-order table setter, but he shows 40 power from the left side. His righthanded swing is generally more of a contact-oriented approach. Cantrelle’s awful spring clouds his status, but he had a lengthy resume of success before that and teams like his baseball IQ. He lacks flashy tools, but a team who relies strongly on a player’s Cape Cod League performance could be enticed in the fourth or fifth round.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
TRACK RECORD: Cantrelle hit well his first two years at Louisiana-Lafayette and batted .315/.427/.438 in the Cape Cod League after his sophomore year. He struggled in his junior season, however, batting .146/.320/.237 before college baseball shut down. The Brewers still drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $300,000. Cantrelle spent the summer playing in the independent City of Champions Cup league and led his team in on-base percentage before going to Arizona for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Cantrelle shows a controlled, compact swing from both sides of the plate and solid feel for the strike zone. His stroke is more contact-oriented from the right side, with more sneaky pop from the left side, though still gives him an on-base over power profile. Cantrelle is a plus runner with the baserunning savvy to be an efficient stolen base threat. He plays with good rhythm and footwork at shortstop and has an average, accurate arm. He's also a potentially above-average defender at second base and his speed makes him an option in center field if needed.
THE FUTURE: Cantrelle doesn't have huge tools, but his high baseball IQ is evident in all phases of the game. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
Draft Prospects
The coronavirus shutdown came at an extremely inopportune time for Cantrelle. After two strong seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, he looked somewhat lost at the plate in the early going this spring. Cantrelle was hitting .136/.320/.237 in 17 games. But there is reason to write that off as a rough month in an otherwise solid college career. After looking somewhat overmatched for much of the summer of 2018 in the Cape Cod League, he showed a much better approach and a more controlled swing in 2019. Playing shortstop and second base for Harwich, he finished ninth in the league with a .315 average. While he played more second base than shortstop with Harwich, Cantrelle projects as an average shortstop defensively in pro ball and an above-average defender at second. He has average arm strength but is an accurate thrower. He isn’t big, (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) but he is a plus runner. He swiped 28 bags in 32 tries as a sophomore and 19 in 21 attempts in the Cape last summer. From either side of the plate, the switch-hitting Cantrelle is a top-of-the-order table setter, but he shows 40 power from the left side. His righthanded swing is generally more of a contact-oriented approach. Cantrelle’s awful spring clouds his status, but he had a lengthy resume of success before that and teams like his baseball IQ. He lacks flashy tools, but a team who relies strongly on a player’s Cape Cod League performance could be enticed in the fourth or fifth round.
Cantrelle has been one of the better high school quarterbacks in the state of Louisiana and is a legitimate prospect on the football field, but fans at Teurlings Catholic will most remember him for his audacious dash from second base to home on a bunt to score the go-ahead run in the school's 4A state championship game win in 2016. Cantrelle has long combined heady play with plus tools. He's a 6.5 runner in the 60-yard dash and has the hands and range to stay at shortstop in pro ball with an above-average arm. At the plate, Cantrelle is a high-contact hitter with wiry strength but below-average power. Cantrelle is committed to Louisana-Lafayette.
Scouting Reports
TRACK RECORD: Cantrelle hit well his first two years at Louisiana-Lafayette and batted .315/.427/.438 in the Cape Cod League after his sophomore year. He struggled in his junior season, however, batting .146/.320/.237 before college baseball shut down. The Brewers still drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $300,000. Cantrelle spent the summer playing in the independent City of Champions Cup league and led his team in on-base percentage before going to Arizona for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Cantrelle shows a controlled, compact swing from both sides of the plate and solid feel for the strike zone. His stroke is more contact-oriented from the right side, with more sneaky pop from the left side, though still gives him an on-base over power profile. Cantrelle is a plus runner with the baserunning savvy to be an efficient stolen base threat. He plays with good rhythm and footwork at shortstop and has an average, accurate arm. He's also a potentially above-average defender at second base and his speed makes him an option in center field if needed.
THE FUTURE: Cantrelle doesn't have huge tools, but his high baseball IQ is evident in all phases of the game. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Cantrelle hit well his first two years at Louisiana-Lafayette and batted .315/.427/.438 in the Cape Cod League after his sophomore year. He struggled in his junior season, however, batting .146/.320/.237 before college baseball shut down. The Brewers still drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $300,000. Cantrelle spent the summer playing in the independent City of Champions Cup league and led his team in on-base percentage before going to Arizona for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Cantrelle shows a controlled, compact swing from both sides of the plate and solid feel for the strike zone. His stroke is more contact-oriented from the right side, with more sneaky pop from the left side, though still gives him an on-base over power profile. Cantrelle is a plus runner with the baserunning savvy to be an efficient stolen base threat. He plays with good rhythm and footwork at shortstop and has an average, accurate arm. He's also a potentially above-average defender at second base and his speed makes him an option in center field if needed.
THE FUTURE: Cantrelle doesn't have huge tools, but his high baseball IQ is evident in all phases of the game. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
Career Transactions
Tennessee Smokies placed SS Hayden Cantrelle on the 7-day injured list.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Iowa Cubs.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to Iowa Cubs from Tennessee Smokies.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Iowa Cubs.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to Richmond Flying Squirrels.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to United States.
SS Hayden Cantrelle assigned to San Francisco Giants.
SS Hayden Cantrelle roster status changed by San Francisco Giants.
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