Bryce Cunningham Stats & Scouting Report

IP	8.0
ERA	10.13
WHIP	2.250
BB/9	5.6
SO/9	6.8

Full name Bryce Allen Cunningham
Born 12/20/2002 in Headland, AL
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 234 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Vanderbilt
Drafted in the 2nd round (53rd overall) by the New York Yankees in 2024 (signed for $2,297,500).

View Draft Report

School: Vanderbilt
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.6
BA Grade: 50/High
Tools: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.

Cunningham split time as a starter and reliever during his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, but he pitched well in the Cape Cod League as a starter in 2023 and continued to thrive in the role during his 2024 draft season this spring. A 6-foot-5, 230-pound righthander, Cunningham pitched to a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts and 84.2 innings, though he had wonky home-road splits and was consistently better in Nashville than he was on the road. His arsenal starts with a power fastball that sits 94-95 mph and has been up to 99 in the past, but the pitch typically topped at 97 this spring. His fastball has above-average velocity and was his most consistent pitch for strikes. Cunningham also throws a mid-80s slider that was previously his best swing-and-miss offering, though the pitch was supplanted by an upper-80s changeup that was his most consistent offspeed weapon in 2024. His change features surprisingly high spin rates and tremendous armside movement that make it difficult to square up. His slider features tight two-plane break at times, but he’ll need to rein in his command and consistency to make the most of it. 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.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: Cunningham’s amateur career featured three excellent seasons with Vanderbilt and two tours in the Cape Cod League. In his freshman season, he was teammates with current Yankees prospects Spencer Jones and Greysen Carter. Cunningham struck out 96 hitters in 84.2 innings in his junior year with the Commodores, and the Yankees took him in the second round in 2024. He did not pitch after signing and spent his first pro year at High-A Hudson Valley. He missed about two months with a shoulder injury and made up some of those lost innings in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Cunningham’s pro debut can be split into halves. Before the injury, he was one of the best pitchers in the system and looked to have a case as its top pitching prospect. Afterward, he lost some of his ability to command his arsenal and got hit hard as a result. In four turns in August, Cunningham went 0-2, 8.22 with eight strikeouts and eight walks over 7.2 innings. He struggled in the AFL as well, allowing 15 earned runs and nine walks in 13 innings. When things were going well for Cunningham, scouts were heartened by a mix that included four pitches that graded between 50 and 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale. Cunningham is in the process of adding a sweeper. He threw the pitch a bit in the AFL but should incorporate it into his mix more often in 2026. Getting the sweeper where it needs to be would give him another avenue of attack against righthanded hitters. For now, he needs a healthy offseason and a chance to return to the form he showed in the first half of the 2025 season.

The Future: If he can return to full health and prove the last half of his pro debut was little more than a hiccup, Cunningham has a chance to be a midrotation starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Sweeper: 55 | Control: 55
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: Cunningham’s final season at Vanderbilt put a cap on a stellar amateur career featuring three seasons with the Commodores and two stints in the Cape Cod League. He split his first two years in Nashville between starting and relieving before moving to the rotation full-time in 2024. Over 84.2 innings, he struck out 96, walked 34 and allowed 14 home runs. The Yankees drafted Cunningham with the 53rd pick in 2024 and signed him for $2,297,500, roughly $600,000 over slot. He did not pitch after signing and will make his professional debut in 2025.

Scouting Report: The Yankees prioritized pitching in the 2024 draft, waiting until the eighth round to select their first position player. The group could mostly be described with two adjectives: physical and college-educated. At 6-foot-5 and 234 pounds, Cunningham perfectly fits the bill. His fastball comfortably sits in the mid 90s and has touched 99 mph. He backed it up with a slider thrown in the mid 80s and a changeup that runs a couple ticks hotter. His changeup—which has unusually high spin rates—was Cunningham’s best offspeed pitch in 2024. Previously, that role was filled by his slider, which at its best shows the kind of two-plane break ideal for inducing swings and misses. Cunningham ties his mix together with potentially-average control, but his command—especially of his offspeed pitches—needs to improve if he is to remain a rotation candidate.

The Future: Cunningham has the physicality and stuff to overwhelm hitters. Now, he needs to improve the quality of his strikes in order to make his arsenal play at the upper levels of the minor leagues and, eventually, the big leagues.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50.

Draft Prospects

School: Vanderbilt Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.6
BA Grade: 50/High
Tools: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.

Cunningham split time as a starter and reliever during his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, but he pitched well in the Cape Cod League as a starter in 2023 and continued to thrive in the role during his 2024 draft season this spring. A 6-foot-5, 230-pound righthander, Cunningham pitched to a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts and 84.2 innings, though he had wonky home-road splits and was consistently better in Nashville than he was on the road. His arsenal starts with a power fastball that sits 94-95 mph and has been up to 99 in the past, but the pitch typically topped at 97 this spring. His fastball has above-average velocity and was his most consistent pitch for strikes. Cunningham also throws a mid-80s slider that was previously his best swing-and-miss offering, though the pitch was supplanted by an upper-80s changeup that was his most consistent offspeed weapon in 2024. His change features surprisingly high spin rates and tremendous armside movement that make it difficult to square up. His slider features tight two-plane break at times, but he’ll need to rein in his command and consistency to make the most of it. 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.

Career Transactions

RHP Bryce Cunningham assigned to Mesa Solar Sox.
Hudson Valley Renegades activated RHP Bryce Cunningham from the 7-day injured list.
Hudson Valley Renegades placed RHP Bryce Cunningham on the 7-day injured list.
Hudson Valley Renegades activated RHP Bryce Cunningham from the 7-day injured list.
RHP Bryce Cunningham assigned to Hudson Valley Renegades from FCL Yankees.
RHP Bryce Cunningham assigned to FCL Yankees.
New York Yankees signed RHP Bryce Cunningham.
RHP Bryce Cunningham assigned to Vanderbilt Commodores.