Bryce Cunningham has made quite an impression during his first month as a professional pitcher. Could he be building up toward a major league debut next spring?
The second-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in the 2024 draft, Cunningham is 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA after four starts with the Hudson Valley Renegades. The 22-year-old is among the South Atlantic League leaders in innings pitched (24) and strikeouts (30), even though many of the other pitchers in the league have started five games.
“Man oh man, has Bryce Cunningham been good,” said Ryan Garcia of the Fireside Yankees podcast, from Empire Sports Media
“He’s been a bulldog. He’s pitched deep into games.”
Largely because Cunningham has been pounding the strike zone. He has walked just four batters on the season, boasting a 0.94 WHIP that is 12th in the South Atlantic League.
“He’s striking dudes out, he’s not walking guys, four walks is a minuscule amount,” Garcia said. “He’s just been incredible, incredible for the Hudson Valley Renegades.”
Bryce Cunningham Among League Leaders in Strikeouts, Innings Pitched
Ben Badler of Baseball America’s “Future Projection” podcast said that Cunningham has shown good command of his pitches.
“He’s pounding the strike zone,” Badler said. “Fastball is low-to-mid 90s, he’ll touch 97, and it plays up, because it’s that high carry-type of fastball with good extension. The changeup is plus, it was getting miss rates over 50 percent when he was at Vanderbilt, and it’s continuing to be a high swing-and-miss pitch for him. I don’t see that changing either at higher levels, it’s just a really high-quality pitch for him. The slider, too, it’s a solid pitch. I like the fastball and changeup better, but it’s not like he can’t spin a breaking ball.”
Carlos Collazo, Badler’s co-host, added more praise for what he said was Cunningham’s “unique” changeup.
“It’s like a high spin, really heavy fading pitch that has always been effective, and sounds like it continues to be effective for him,” he said.
Bryce Cunningham Has Pitched Consecutive Scoreless Outings
In his professional debut on April 5, Cunningham allowed two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings, as Hudson Valley beat the Jersey Shore BlueClaws 6-2. Cunningham was roughed up in his second start, allowing six runs, five of them earned, on seven hits in 6.0 innings, although he did get six strikeouts.
Then on April 19 against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Cunningham lasted 7.0 innings, giving up no runs on four hits with nine strikeouts. He followed that up with 6.0 scoreless innings on April 26 against the Asheville Tourists, allowing just three hits with eight strikeouts.
“This is a guy who could be a really, really, really good starter for the New York Yankees down the road and a top 100 prospect,” Garcia said. “I wouldn’t be surprised as a college arm if he’s someone who gets the major league looks as soon as 2026.”
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