Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Bryce Cunningham has been selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, taken with the No. 53 overall selection in the draft.
The selection comes after Cunningham put together a very solid season for the Commodores as a junior in 2024.
Among the highlights for Cunningham were an SEC Pitcher of the Week award in early April, a performance against Florida that went six shutout innings and a 10-strikeout game against No. 1 Tennessee in mid-May.
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Cunningham finished the year with a 7-4 record and a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts. He threw 84.2 innings and allowed 41 earned runs, striking out 96 batters while walking 34.
Across his three seasons with the Commodores, Bryce Cunningham posted an 11-8 record with a 4.95 ERA in 46 appearances and 26 starts. He struck out 168 in 160.0 innings, walking 71.
The improvement during his junior season was enough to earn him a look in the MLB Draft and a quality draft spot.
What MLB Draft analysts are saying about Bryce Cunningham
MLB Draft analysts were high on Cunningham for a number of reasons, chief among them his command of three different pitches.
The velocity on his fastball is also fairly good, making him quite effective when he can maintain it deep into games.
Writes MLB.com in evaluating Bryce Cunningham as a prospect after tabbing him No. 63 overall heading into the draft:
“While Cunningham’s mid-90s fastball velocity with a peak of 97 mph is nothing new, he’s doing a better job of locating his heater and keeping it off barrels with carry up in the zone. It plays extremely well with one of the best swing-and-miss changeups in college baseball, a hard upper-80s cambio that plummets at the plate. His sweeping mid-80s slider is an effective third offering.
“Improving his strength and athleticism has helped Cunningham do a better job of repeating his clean delivery. He’s throwing more strikes and maintaining his stuff deeper into games. He exhibits the upside of a No. 2 or 3 starter and unlocking a better slider could help him get there.”
