Yankees Prospect Bryce Cunningham Receives First Minor League Promotion

New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Bryce Cunningham has only pitched for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades so far in his minor league career. But that's about to change on Tuesday.

Cunningham, New York's No. 9 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, has been transferred from High-A Hudson Valley to Double-A Somerset. The 23-year-old will make his first start with the Somerset Patriots on Tuesday night against the Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

The Yankees selected Cunningham with a second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. After beginning his professional career on a strong note last year, the 6-foot-3 righty suffered an injury that limited his workload. But now, the young hurler is finally set to start his climb through the minor leagues.

How has Bryce Cunningham pitched in the minors so far?

Vanderbilt pitcher Bryce Cunningham (97) pitches against Tennessee during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 10, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

So far in 2026, Cunningham has posted a 4.71 ERA in 17 High-A games. The 23-year-old has 69 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings pitched for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades this season. This follows the young righty's first year in the minors, when he produced a 2.82 ERA in 12 High-A outings and struck out 55 batters in 54 1/3 innings.

Cunningham has dealt with injuries early in his professional career. The Vanderbilt product began his time in the Yankees organization by posting a 1.93 ERA through his first eight appearances in 2025. But then, the young hurler was sidelined for multiple months with a shoulder injury. He made just four more High-A starts after June last year, and then had a 10.38 ERA in five starts in the Arizona Fall League.

Heading into his Double-A debut, Cunningham has a 4.88 ERA in four High-A starts this month. The 2024 second-rounder threw seven innings of two-run ball in his first August outing but has allowed four runs over six innings in each of his past two starts. He did have a season-high eight strikeouts on Aug. 13, though.

With Somerset's regular season ending on Sept. 13, Cunningham will most likely make just a couple of Double-A starts this season. But plenty of Yankees fans will be curious to see how the highly touted hurler pitches following his first minor league promotion.

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