Cerantola was a fifth-round pick by Kansas City in the 2021 MLB Draft, selected 139th overall out of Mississippi State. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The left-hander made his major league debut with the Royals this season, appearing in four games. In those appearances, he allowed six earned runs on four hits and issued 10 walks across 5 1/3 innings.
Kansas City designated Cerantola for assignment on July 2, one day after optioning him to Triple-A. Since then, the Giants had him make two appearances for Sacramento. In his first outing with the Giants’ affiliate, he worked a clean inning with a strikeout. In his second appearance, he allowed five walks while recording just one other out, a rough showing that likely contributed to the decision to outright him to the minors.
Despite the rough second pro outing, Cerantola possesses tools that could help him return to the majors. He is known for a plus slider and has shown the ability to miss bats. In 93 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level with the Royals’ organization, he registered a strong strikeout rate of 30.7%. He also posted a promising 3.56 ERA across his time with Triple-A Omaha, suggesting that his minor-league performance has been solid overall.
However, control has been an ongoing concern. Cerantola walked 11.7% of his batters during his stint with the Royals’ Triple-A team, and his major league numbers reflect command issues, with 10 walks in just 5 1/3 innings. This combination—high strikeout upside paired with control problems—has made his path to a stable big-league role challenging.
The Royals, despite owning the league’s highest ERA when considering bullpen performance, chose to part with Cerantola rather than carry him on a 26-man roster. For Cerantola, this latest move represents a setback in the short term, but it also provides an opportunity to refine his control and mechanics in the minors while continuing to develop his already impressive strikeout potential.
From a development perspective, Cerantola remains a prospect with upside. If he can harness his command and pitch consistently in the strike zone, his raw stuff could translate into late-inning relief duties at the major league level. The path back to the majors likely hinges on stabilizing his walks per nine innings and refining his usage of secondary pitches to keep hitters off balance.
Looking ahead, the Giants will monitor Cerantola’s progress in Sacramento. For his part, Cerantola can continue to work on command, velocity, and pitch sequencing to reduce free passes and improve his overall efficiency. If he can demonstrate steady improvement in the minors, a return to the major-league roster remains a plausible goal.
In summary, the Giants’ decision to outright Cerantola to Triple-A Sacramento reflects the ongoing evaluation of bullpen depth during the season. Cerantola’s blend of strikeout capability and control concerns makes his future trajectory a topic of interest for scouts and analysts who watch his development closely. With continued improvement, he could reemerge as a viable relief option at the highest level in the coming seasons.
