MLB Draft analyst assesses Maui Ahuna's chances at becoming first round draft pick

When Maui Ahuna committed to Tennessee out of the transfer portal after last season, he was seen as a top MLB draft prospect ahead of his junior year. Now that he’s back in the lineup after eligibility concerns, his stock might be coming into focus.

ESPN MLB Draft analyst Kiley McDaniel spoke about the questions surrounding Ahuna during the Volunteers’ game against Florida Thursday night. He said Ahuna answered some of the questions over the summer with Team USA, but there are still some question marks that lead McDaniel to think the former Kansas star might be a second-round pick at the moment.

“Where does Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna fit into this year’s draft class? There haven’t really been many questions about his speed, athleticism or defense at shortstop,” McDaniel said on the ESPNU broadcast. “The question over the summer while he was with Team USA is would he hit enough to get to his power in games? And then, that question shifted with scouts this fall as he had a more contact-oriented, direct-to-the-ball path.

“After missing some time earlier this year with administrative delays, the question now remains how Ahuna will perform in SEC play and can he work his way back into the first round? I think if the draft was today, he’d go somewhere in the second round.”

As of March 28, Ahuna was the No. 21-ranked draft prospect in college this year, according to D1Baseball.

In 21 games this year, including 20 starts, Ahuna is batting .289 with five home runs and 21 RBI. He was cleared to play on Feb. 27 after missing the first eight games of the season due to concerns about eligibility. The NCAA launched an investigation into his recruitment and Tennessee ended up suspending head coach Tony Vitello as the Vols worked to “to address a violation in the program.” When Ahuna made his debut, he received a rousing ovation from the Tennessee faithful.

Tennessee entered Thursday’s game against Florida with a 21-8 overall record and a 4-5 mark in SEC play. The Volunteers dropped their last series against LSU, but managed to get a win in the third game to avoid the sweep. They started play Thursday in fifth place in the SEC East standings, three games behind Florida. That makes this weekend’s series even more important as Tennessee can close the gap now that the calendar has flipped to April.