Yankees 2024 MLB Draft Rounds 2-5
2nd Round, 53rd overall: RHP Bryce Cunningham, Vanderbilt
The 6-foot-5 Commodore junior had a stellar 2024, throwing six shutout innings in the first round of the SEC Tournament on May 21. Cunningham threw a 4.59 ERA in 33-1/3 IP in 2024 with 17 ER on 31 H with 14 BB allowed and 27 K.
Cunningham has a mid-90s fastball that hits 97 MPH, a plus slider and a mid-80s change-up that is high spin (2440 RPM avg.), and has an average 20” of horizontal break. The CH also has a 53% whiff rate, while the FB has above-average command.
MLB Pipeline scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
3rd Round, 89th overall: RHP Thatcher Hurd, LSU
Hurd has a dominant fastball that induces a lot of swing and miss. The fastball sits 93-96, T98 and Hurd also has a mid-80s slider with a lot of horizontal and vertical movement. Hurd was the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week in March 2023 and posted a 3-4 record in 2024 with a 6.55 ERA, with an exceptional 11.45 K/9 (56 K, 44 IP)
Pipeline notes that he pitched with UCLA in his freshman year, but missed the last two months of the season with a stress fracture in his back; Hurd then transferred to LSU ahead of his sophomore year. Hurd also has a curveball that sits 78-82 and an upper-80s change-up, but the Yankees may eliminate those pitches since they haven’t been very effective.
MLB Pipeline scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45
4th Round, 119th overall: RHP Gage Ziehl, Miami (FL)
Ziehl was the Hurricanes’ Friday Night starter the last 2 years. Ziehl is not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s compact and strong at 6-foot, 223 pounds. He repeats his delivery well and has a history of throwing strikes. This is a pitcher with a solid three pitch mix of mid-90s four-seam fastball that can hit 97, a cutter-like slider that sits mid-80, and a change-up that he’s been working on. Ziehl can pound the strike zone when his pitches are on. Scouts like his makeup and believe he can add to his pitch package. He could be a backend starter or setup-type reliever.
MLB Pipeline scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
5th Round, 152nd overall: RHP Greysen Carter, Vanderbilt
Carter’s plus fastball hits mid-upper 90s that reaches 103, but the off-speeds need some work as they were given under-average grades. Carter has issues with control, especially on the breaking balls, and he throws the mid-80s curveball more reliably than the mid-80s slider.
The 6-foot-4 righty reliever was used middle to late in the game during his Junior year in 2024, where he had a 6.58 ERA in 39-⅔ innings of work, with 38 strikeouts. His K/9 of 8.62 is average, and his BB/9 of 7.03 is rather high.
MLB Pipeline scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40