Stepping into the batter’s box for a C’s Chat is 2025 Vancouver Canadians first baseman/outfielder Carter Cunningham.
Born in Huntington Beach, California, Cunningham moved to Haymarket, Virginia where he played baseball at Battlefield High School. Lettering in three years with the Bobcats, he posted batting averages of .290, .302 and .385 and was part of three district titles and a regional championship from 2017-2019. Cunningham, who also played hockey in high school, was an All-District selection in 2018 and 2019 and captured all-region and Virginia All-State honours in his senior season. Attending several summer showcase events with the Stars Baseball travel team led to Cunningham being rated the 21st-best prospect in the state of Virginia and a Top 500 overall prospect by Perfect Game.
Cunningham’s college career began in Boiling Springs, North Carolina with the Division I Gardner-Webb University Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2020. Despite playing just 16 games in a season cut short by COVID, he left a good enough impression as he won Big South Conference Freshman of the Year honours. Cunningham started the year with a seven-game hitting streak and batted .268 with a home run, four doubles and nine runs batted in over 16 games.
2021 saw Cunningham switch schools as he attended Florida SouthWestern State College and he won another award as he was named the Suncoast Conference Sophomore of the Year. Cunningham’s prowess on the basepaths stood out as he stole 32 bases and was only caught twice, helping the Buccaneers win the conference title.
It was back to Division I ball for Cunningham as he headed to East Carolina in 2022 and helped the Pirates reach the Greenville Super Regional. His season continued in summer college ball with the Charlottesville Tom Sox where he joined fellow East Carolina teammate, pitcher Trey Yesavage. The two played a key role in helping the Tom Sox win the Valley League championship. Cunningham finished in the league’s top five in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage with a .435/.490/.647 with three homers and 21 RBI in 21 games.
That was the springboard to a successful 2023 campaign for Cunningham, who was a First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection and was named to the ACC All-Tournament team. A .429 on-base percentage was a top-five finish in the conference and he put up an OPS of .951 thanks to 21 extra-base hits, including eight home runs. He excelled in hitting with a runner on third base and less than two outs by going 14-for-15 in those scenarios. Cunningham followed up with another stellar stint of summer college ball. His magic touch continued as he helped the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate League win the championship after batting .372 with a 1.016 OPS.
The best was yet to come for Cunningham in 2024. A 19-game hitting streak to start the year was the spark to a banner season as he led the AAC in batting average (.367), home runs (17), runs scored (22), hits (92) and total bases (164). Helping the Pirates reach the NCAA Greenville Regional finals on the heels of an AAC regular season title, Cunningham captured a cornucopia of awards including Conference Player of the Year honours and being named a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy for the national college player of the year.
Cunningham was also a valuable member of the community in Greenville, North Carolina. He spearheaded a charitable initiative called “Homers That Help” to encourage donations to patients and families at Maynard Children’s Hospital.
A First-Team Academic All-American who graduated from East Carolina with a Master of Business Administration, Cunningham had Plan B options in place if his future did not include professional baseball. However, his pro baseball aspirations came true when the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 10th round of the 2024 MLB Draft on the advice of scout Coulson Barbiche Jr. The selection also meant he would join his college teammate Yesavage in the Jays organization who was taken in the first round.
After the Jays cut a cheque for a $22,500 signing bonus, Cunningham headed to Dunedin to make his pro debut, and it was a perfect one at the plate as he went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two walks for the D-Jays against Daytona on July 31. His first professional home run was an inside-the-park job at Clearwater on August 11.
Cunningham would club another homer at Tampa on September 6 as part of a three-game straek in which he drove in at least a run. He continued to display a discerning eye at the dish with a .381 on-base percentage in 25 games.
In 2025, the spotlight shone on Cunningham when he saw Spring Training action against the New York Yankees when he took Baron Stuart deep to right-center field for a walk-off home run on St. Patrick’s Day. He was perfect in all three of his plate appearances during Grapefruit League action as he drew a walk and scored a run against Atlanta on March 16 and drew another base on balls before his homer on March 17.
Cunningham made the C’s Opening Day roster and he singled home the first two runs of the 2025 season in his first at-bat with Monty’s Mounties at Tri-City on April 4. His first Northwest League homer came in a win at Everett on April 26. The next day, Cunningham contributed two singles and a bases-loaded walk in a ninth-inning rally in what turned out to be a 10-inning win over the Frogs to gain a series split. Those were the highlights of a five-game hitting streak and a six-game on-base string to end April.
In May, Cunningham was on base in six of seven games to begin the month. He rounded the bases twice as part of a 3-for-4 day and had the game-winning RBI at Spokane on May 8.
C’s Plus Baseball had a chance to chat with the 24-year-old Cunningham during the team’s homestand against Hillsboro in early May. This interview has been edited for clarity.
C’s Plus Baseball – Let’s take it to the start of your baseball career. How did it all get started?
Carter Cunningham – T-Ball. I grew up in Huntington Beach, California, which was a phenomenal place to grow up and kind of just fell in love with the game there.
CPB – We’ve had a few players here (in Vancouver) from Huntington Beach (Hagen Danner, Jake Brodt, Dom Abbadessa). What makes Huntington Beach so special when it comes to baseball?
CC – I would say the weather. You can kind of play baseball year-round, for sure. But then, obviously, once I moved from Huntington Beach to Virginia, it’s kind of surprised me that the baseball in Northern Virginia is very competitive and a lot of good schools are around there. A lot of former professional players go back and help coach out in that area. So that’s really where I’d say my baseball career really took off, because I got to hang out with a lot of ex-pro players and guys trying to make it to the pros.
CPB – Who were some of those ex-pro players you came in contact with?
CC – One of them was Shawn Camp who played with the Blue Jays (2008-2011). He popped around a lot of teams, but I know he really enjoyed his time in Toronto. When I got drafted, he called me and was like, ‘You’re going to love it. You’re going to love the organization. All the people there are great.’ (Former MLB outfielder) Mike Colangelo, my high school coach, Jay Burkhart, played pro ball. Just people in my life that have really impacted me and, like I said, gotten to spend time around. Brenton Doyle, he’s the Rockies center fielder. We hit together in the offseason. Just an incredible area.
CPB – Is there anything you look back on in high school? Any special memories?
CC – It was a public high school, but a lot of really good players came out of there. My best friend, (former Spokane Indians closer) Zach Agnos, just debuted with Colorado Rockies. We grew up together when I moved from Huntington Beach to Virginia. When I was nine years old, I walked into my second-grade class and sat right next to Zach. So those memories, just growing up with him and the Agnos family, for me, have been really special.
CPB – When did things began to take off for you? When did it kind of become a thought that, hey, maybe professional baseball might be in the cards for you?
CC – That professional baseball thought was really not until my sophomore year of college. I was pretty undersized in high school. I was 5’8″ going into my junior year, which doesn’t sound crazy, but I knew I wasn’t really the MLB-calibre player, I guess, or even a Division I-calibre player. I committed my junior year to a small Division I school and then kind of took off from there.
CPB – Eventually you make your way out to East Carolina. How did that all come about?
CC – The Agnos family. Zach, his older brother, Jake, was the Friday night starter there. He got drafted in the fourth round by the Yankees. Again, just best friends with Zach. I went to watch him pitch on a Friday night when I was in high school. Not committed at the time, but I went to go watch a game and there’s 6,000 rowdy Pirate fans there. I’m like, ‘This would be an incredible place to play.’ So I went to Gardner-Webb, then I went to a junior college, and then I ended up there. The Agnos family put in a good word for me to coach Godwin (Cliff Godwin).
CPB – How big a difference was it from Gardner-Webb going to East Carolina?
CC – A huge difference. Playing in front of maybe 100 to 200 people to 6,000 every day was quite the adjustment. I enjoyed both. I learned a lot from both. But obviously East Carolina holds a special place in my heart.
CPB – Any special memories when you look back on your time at East Carolina?
CC – (Against) Texas (in the 2022 Greenville) Super Regional. It was the loudest environment I may have ever been in. We say 6,000, but I think we packed in 8,000 people there. I think we had to say 6,000 because of the fire marshal. But it was packed. It was so loud all weekend. We were a game away from Omaha (the College World Series) that weekend. It was such a fun time.
CPB – In the draft, you wind up with the Blue Jays. Talk about your draft day experience, what that was like and the lead-up to it.
CC – I was actually on a cruise with my girlfriend’s family in Bermuda when I got the call. It was pretty funny. You’re on the cruise, you get drafted, and then you leave your room. Nobody knows what just happened to me, but obviously it was such a special day for me. Everybody’s just on a cruise. They don’t care. It was really fun, though. It was good to celebrate it with them.
CPB – Did you have any idea it was going to be the Blue Jays that would take you? Was there a sign that you had an inkling they were interested in?
CC – Yeah, because out of junior college, they really liked me. I remember I did a workout with them my sophomore year after my JUCO season. This was right after the new facility had just opened up, so I had been there even before this year. I knew they really liked me, and then I had a good workout with them. Going right before the draft this year, I had a really good workout. I really wanted it to be them, and I’m glad they picked me.
CPB – You got the word in Bermuda. How much of a challenge was that, getting organized for Dunedin?
CC – Yeah, it was tough. It was good. Just being able to celebrate there, and then I think within two days, I was back on land. I had two more days to pack all my stuff and then head down to Dunedin to sign and all that stuff.
CPB – So you get to Dunedin. I know you meet a lot of people. Is there anyone maybe you connected with or hit it off with right away?
CC – I would say Tucker Toman and Brandon Barriera. We all sort of joined a Bible study together. We’re all pretty rooted in our faith, and that’s something that we sort of bonded over right away. And then Pat Gallagher. He’s another strong Christian that I look up to, and we’ve got a really good relationship here as well.
CPB – Anything that stood out to you going through draft camp? What was that whole experience like for you, just kind of getting settled into Dunedin?
CC – Yeah, I think the Blue Jays did a phenomenal job of getting us acclimated to the culture, to how things run, to how things operate, how they want things to be ran. And sort of just easing our way into that, and then kind of letting us go. And when we get on the field, just be who we are and why they drafted us, and I think they did a really good job of that.
CPB – Getting your first pro experience under your belt down in Dunedin, how would you describe that first taste of pro ball?
CC – Oh, it was really hot down there in the middle of summer. But no, it was a lot of fun. It was tough. I learned a lot in those 20, 25 games that I played. Especially through the failure. I didn’t have the success that I may have wanted in those games, but I just used it to learn and sort of set up my offseason and the goals that I wanted to hit this offseason.
CPB – And what was that offseason like for you? Wwas there anything specific you focused on?
CC – Yeah, a lot of the guys throw really hard, and they throw some really good fastballs with some rise to them. So I was just trying to work on being able to cover that pitch consistently. Maybe not doing damage, but still being able to cover it. Not just swinging and missing like I was in Dunedin for those 20 games. So just working on that, and then just continuing to get faster, stronger, better every day.
CPB – Are you into analytics? Are you a big-time numbers guy?
CC – Not really. I mean, I think they can be used for good, but if you don’t really understand the meaning behind them, then I think it’s too much information where I’m trying to focus on something. And I see a number pop up, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if that’s good or bad.’ So then I start questioning, and then I start changing things. So if you know it and you understand it, I think it can be used correctly and for positive (gains). But if you don’t necessarily know what the numbers mean, then I think it’s kind of a waste. So it’s just about what numbers you’re looking at and if you understand them.
CPB – I know the offseason is kind of the time where you kind of do major changes. Was there anything like that for you with your swing or whatnot?
CC – Yeah, I feel like if you look at video from college to now, my swing is pretty drastically changed for the better. But it’s – yeah, like you said, I think the offseason is kind of the right time to do those changes.
CPB – There’s all the talk of just trying to get your ‘A-swing’ off, and that’s what you need to do. Is that kind of your approach in the batter’s box?
CC – Yeah, being able – I mean, like I said, these guys are really good. They throw really hard. So you might get one pitch. You might – if you’re very lucky, you might get two. I highly doubt it. Or you walk. And being able to do damage on that one pitch when you get it, it’s pivotal and that’s what I’m already learning. If you miss it, it’s like ‘Dang!’ You got to find a way to compete and battle the rest of the AB (at-bat).
CPB – You got your first home run not that long ago in that Everett series, it seemed like things really started to come together over the weekend. Talk about that first home run in Everett and what you remember about that.
CC – Yeah, it was cool. It was a good swing, a good pitch to do it on. Like you said, I feel like I kind of found something there. And even coming back here, you know, baseball’s a tough game. Like the results might not always be there, but like, you know when you’re on. You also know when you’re off. Like you could get some cheap hits, but you feel like you’re just off still. In the beginning of the year, I wasn’t hitting and I knew I was off. And now even when I get out, it’s like okay, I know that feeling. Like I feel like I’m back. I feel good. I feel confident. And it’s all mental really. So like just having that, knowing that, can kind of, I would say, give you success down the road.
CPB – The series finale in Everett. that big ninth inning rally, you got the first run in. Bases were loaded. I’m sure the expectation is, ‘Okay, I have a big chance to do damage here.’ But you were patient and took that walk. Take us through that at-bat.
CC – Yeah. That was, like you said, you want to do damage there, but you also just want to keep the line moving. That takes a lot of discipline, you know. You don’t want to play hero ball. You don’t want to chase the pitch out of the zone and game over. Because at the end of the day, it’s for me, and I’m not sure a lot of guys look at pro ball this way, but like, I still want to win. I know a lot of the guys do, especially on this team. And I know organization to organization is different. But I know for me, like I’m just trying to go out there and I’m trying to give my team the best chance to win. And in that moment, it was drawing a walk and moving the line, and then, yeah, (Brennan) Orf came up and hit that big double. Bases-clearing double. And what a game that was. It’s so fun to be a part of when you’re competing like that. I mean, at the end of the day, you just want to win.
CPB – Everett, it’s a hitter’s park. There’s no question about it. And you come back here, it’s more of a pitcher’s park. But what’s that adjustment been like, you know, being in a park where it’s hard to get the ball out of here? We saw Eddie Micheletti bang one off the wall. Jackson Hornung hit one high off the center wall recently. I guess the key is just trying to stick to your approach, and good things will eventually happen?
CC – Yeah. I mean, all you can control is, like, just barrel the baseball. If you barrel the baseball, you beat the pitcher at the end of the day. And you stack that up over the course of the season, you’re going to look up, and your numbers are going to be where they want to be. You just can’t get discouraged. Every time you bang a ball off the wall and you think it should be a home run or you even line out deep to center field, it doesn’t matter. You just keep putting your head down, keep going to work. Like I said, you’ll look up at the end of the year, and your stats will be there.
CPB – I wanted to ask you about your college teammate, Trey Yesavage. Do you keep in contact with him?
CC – Oh, yeah. We FaceTime at least once a week. He’s one of my best friends, just a great guy. Obviously, the Blue Jays fans know him as the number one draft pick for us last year. But I know him as Trey, as just one of my best friends. And I’ll say that he’s just a better dude than he is a pitcher. And that’s saying something because I know he’s a phenomenal pitcher. Once you really get to know him and spend time with him, he’s just a great guy.
CPB – Did you have a favourite major league team or player growing up?
CC – Yeah, it’s funny. It was actually Vlad Guerrero Sr. because growing up in Huntington Beach, I was a big Angels fan. So he was with the Angels at that time. And even when I would go back for some big league spring training games this spring training, I mean, it was cool to see Vladdy Jr. But I’m not going to go up and fanboy and be like, ‘Hey, your Dad is my favourite player.’ But it was cool. It was cool.
CPB – Speaking of spring training, the walk-off home run, how did that feel hitting that one out in Dunedin?
CC – Yeah, awesome moment for sure. It was super surreal. I felt like I was just floating around the bases on the run. But, yeah, it was, again, at the end of the day, you just want to win. I was just trying to keep the line moving, just trying to extend the game and was lucky enough to get one in the air, and Lord willing, it went out.
CPB – Do you remember the pitch that was thrown to you on the home run?
CC – Yeah, it was kind of like a front hip two-seamer at 96 (miles per hour). It was a good pitch. But I had a really good take on the changeup, the pitch before. And I was like, ‘All right, he’s either going to throw a changeup again, and I’ll look really dumb, and I’ll swing through it. But I think he’s going to throw a fastball here, so I’m going to sell out to the fastball.’ And I got it, and put a good swing on it.
CPB – Did you have any other favourite pro teams growing up?
CC – This is actually good for Canadian fans. I was an Anaheim Ducks fan. I went to school with Scott Niedermayer‘s kids. So my brother and I went to school with both of his sons, Logan and Jackson. Jackson’s actually still playing college hockey. I’m trying to get them out to a Canadians game. I know they’re in Canada. I think they’re in Penticton, if I believe. So trying to get them out to a game because I was a Ducks fan and grew up with them, and they’re another great family.
CPB – The final question I have. The Canadians have a lot of uniforms, red, black, blue, white, gray, the lumberjack. Do you have a favourite?
CC – I like the blue ones. I think they’re a good look, honestly. I like the blue. I know we wore the alternative hat the other day, but I actually like the blue with the red hat and white pants. I think that’s a good look.
Carter Cunningham File
- Born – November 6, 2000, in Huntington Beach, California
- Height/Weight – 6-foot-4, 211 pounds.
- Bats/Throws – Left/Right.
- First Professional Hit – July 31, 2024, for Dunedin Blue Jays vs. Daytona Tortugas. Doubled in second plate appearance against Adrian Herrera after a walk in his first at-bat.
- First Professional Home Run – August 11, 2024 for Dunedin Blue Jays vs. Clearwater. Hit inside-the-park homer against Juan Salas.
- Walkup Music – “Nobody” by Casting Crowns ft. Matthew West.
- Uniform Numbers – Wore number 17 with Gardner-Webb in 2020. Wore number 15 with Florida SouthWestern College. Wore number 17 for East Carolina from 2022-2024. Wore number 24 with Dunedin in 2024.
- Instagram – @cartercunningha.m
- Twitter – @cartercunnin
- Now You Know – Cunningham joins 2016 lefthander Nate Abel as Battlefield High School alumni to play for the Canadians.
Thanks a million again to Carter Cunningham and C’s broadcaster Chris Georges for this episode of C’s Chat.
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