Bryce Cunningham

Scouting Report

During his first two years in college, Cunningham had much more success as a Cape Cod League starter (two all-star game appearances, two championships with Bourne) than he did as a Vanderbilt swingman (6.33 ERA). He emerged as the Commodores' best starter in 2024, as his stuff and command improved and he displayed some of the best pitch metrics in college baseball. After New York floated him down to the 53rd overall pick and signed him for a well-over-slot $2,297,500 bonus, he'll make his pro debut in 2025. Cunningham works with a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 97 mph, and he learned last spring to more consistently avoid barrels by locating it up in the zone with quality carry. The shape of his heater plays extremely well with his hard upper-80s changeup that fades and sinks so much that it can be difficult to land for strikes. His sweeping mid-80s slider gives him an effective third pitch -- one that the Yankees specialize in refining. Cunningham improved his strength and athleticism as a Vanderbilt junior, which enabled him to repeat his clean delivery more easily. In turn, he provided a lot more strikes and maintained his stuff deeper into games. If New York can upgrade his slider, he could become the system's best pitching prospect.