School: University of Tennessee; Class: Junior
Position: SS; B/T: L/R
Height: 6-1; Weight: 175
Previously Drafted: N/A
High School: Hilo High School
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 45 |
Background: Ranked by Perfect Game as the fifth best prospect in the state of Hawaii coming out of Hilo High School, Ahuna, a lefty-swinging shortstop who was named Big Island High School Player of the Year, spent his first two collegiate seasons as an offensive dynamo a top Kansas’s lineup.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound infielder began his Jayhawk career with a .314/.413/.422 production line with 11 doubles, three triples, one homerun, and eight stolen bases (in nine attempts). After splitting his summer between the Appalachian and Cape Cod Leagues, Ahuna returned to Lawrence with a vengeance as he slugged a scorching .396/.479/.634 with 16 doubles, four triples, eight homeruns, and 13 stolen bases.
And, once again, he split the ensuing summer between two separate leagues – a return to the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape and the National Collegiate Team.
Prior to his junior season, the Hawaiian spark plug transferred to SEC powerhouse Tennessee, joining one of the best run programs in the nation.
Ahuna’s production would take a bit of a step backward from his otherworldly sophomore season, but it remained plenty impressive. He mashed .312/.425/.537 with 20 doubles, one triple, eight homeruns, and a quartet of stolen bases (though, he was thrown out three times).
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2011, there have 118 instances in which a SEC hitter batted least .300/.410/.520 in a season (min. 200 PA). Only two of those instances occurred with a hitter posting a strikeout rate of 25% or greater: Dominic Keegan, a fourth rounder by the Rays in 2022, and – of course – Maui Ahuna.
- For the record: Ahuna’s 31% strikeout rate is – by far – the worst among the group.
These three things are true:
- Ahuna looked to be a fantastic bat-to-ball stick and table setter as a true freshman, posting a strikeout rate around 17%.
- In each of his three collegiate campaigns, his strikeout rate climbed higher and higher.
- The SEC exposed some serious flaws in Ahuna’s approach and swing.
Typical picture perfect lefty-swing, short and quick. Ahuna has no trouble getting the bat head around on elite velocity. The problem, though, is the pitch recognition. With that being said, Ahuna can impact the game on defense and on the base paths, though – again – he’s not efficient in his thievery. He’s a project and teams will clearly be betting on the tools.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
Grade: Second / Third Round
