The Yankees chose right-handed pitcher Bryce Cunningham from Vanderbilt University with their second-round pick, 53rd overall. After selecting a talented college pitcher, Ben Hess, in the first round, New York has again opted for a collegiate arm to strengthen their farm system.
Cunningham is a powerful pitcher, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 230 pounds. As an underclassman at Vanderbilt, he had limited success, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Over his first two college seasons, he posted a 5.62 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 75.1 innings.
Cunningham’s fortunes began to change with an impressive performance in the Cape Cod League last summer. In 2024, he transitioned to a full-time starting role during his junior season, improving his ERA to 4.32 with 96 strikeouts and 34 walks over 84.2 innings. Despite these improvements, his stats remain modest, making this another “stuff over stats” pick by the Yankees. Cunningham’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, reaching up to 97 mph, complemented by a solid slider and a potentially plus changeup. Baseball America ranked him 39th on their pre-draft list, giving average or better grades to all three of his pitches. Their scouting report notes:
Watch all 10 of Bryce's punch outs 👀
This is the third time he's struck out 10 or more this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/l18PIGGRk6
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 11, 2024
Cunningham has shown he can throw enough strikes to start, but he’ll need to continue refining his secondary command and start-to-start consistency in pro ball. He should be the first Vanderbilt pitcher off the board and seems like a safe day-one selection.
Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs echoed these sentiments, highlighting Cunningham’s need for consistent strike throwing. He praised Cunningham’s athleticism and delivery, suggesting he fits the profile of a pitcher the Yankees can develop into a top prospect.
The selection of Cunningham closely mirrors the Yankees’ first-round pick of Hess. Both are big collegiate pitchers with strong potential but less-than-stellar statistical records. The Yankees seem confident in their ability to maximize these players’ talents with proper development time and resources.
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