Cedric Scott Hunter (born March 10, 1988) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Career

San Diego Padres

Hunter was selected by the

in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. As of 2009, scout.com ranked Hunter as the top prospect for the San Diego Padres. Following the 2010 season, Hunter was added to the Padres' 40-man roster to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. On March 28, 2011, it was announced that he had made San Diego's

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. During Opening Day on March 31, Hunter scored his first run as a Padre when playing against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

, scoring from second base off a

Nick Hundley Nicholas John Hundley (born September 8, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and current front office executive. He is currently a special assistant to the general manager for the Texas Rangers. He played in Major League Ba ...

single in the top of the 11th inning.

St. Louis Cardinals

On October 25, 2011, Hunter was claimed off waivers by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

. On April 4, 2012, Oakland traded Hunter to the

in exchange for future considerations. He was subsequently assigned to their Triple–A affiliate, the

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

Cleveland Indians

On November 20, 2012, Hunter signed a minor league deal with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

that included an invitation to spring training.

Atlanta Braves

Hunter signed a minor league deal with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

in February 2014. He elected free agency on November 7, 2015.

Philadelphia Phillies

Hunter signed a minor league deal and was invited to spring training with the

on January 4, 2016. Following injuries to multiple outfielders and an impressive spring training, Hunter made the Opening Day roster, projected to earn regular playing time in the outfield. On April 25, 2016, Hunter was outrighted off the 40-man roster. After the 2016 season concluded, Hunter was a free agent. However, on November 23, Hunter was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for amphetamine.

Cincinnati Reds

On April 5, 2017, Hunter signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. In 14 games for the Triple–A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, he batted .300/.310/.475 with one home run and four RBI. Hunter was released by the Reds organization on June 26.

Kansas City T-Bones

On July 21, 2017, Hunter signed with the

Kansas City T-Bones The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones, they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball; which, in 2020, became designated as a Majo ...

of the American Association.

Bravos de León

On March 11, 2018, Hunter signed with the

Bravos de León The Bravos de León (English: León Braves) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. History Cachorros de León (1979–80) Mexican League baseball in León began in 1979 when the Alijadore ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In the first half of the season, he hit .308/.339/.520 with 12 home runs, 51 RBI, and seven stolen bases. In the second half of the season, Hunter slashed .332/.404/.519 with seven home runs, 38 RBI, and six stolen bases. Hunter made 109 appearances for León in 2019, batting .328/.402/.572 with 19 home runs and 81 RBI. He was released by León on December 24, 2019.

Awards

* 2008

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

High Class-A All-Star * 2008

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

postseason All-Star * 2008 California League midseason All-Star * 2006 Baseball America Rookie All-Star * 2006

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

postseason All-Star * 2006 Arizona League Most Valuable Player

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Cedric 1988 births Living people African-American baseball players Akron Aeros players Arizona League Padres players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Bravos de León players Columbus Clippers players Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne Wizards players Gwinnett Braves players Kansas City T-Bones players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball center fielders Memphis Redbirds players Mexican League baseball outfielders Mississippi Braves players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Peoria Saguaros players Philadelphia Phillies players Portland Beavers players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Tucson Padres players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen