Dylan Cunningham followed up an overpowering 2026 season with the one thing that could potentially improve his status as a top pro prospect: Tommy John surgery.
The timing of Cunningham's TJ surgery will give the fireballer almost two full years to rehab before he's draft-eligible out of Austin Prep in 2028. Cunningham showed no signs of being compromised by injury this spring and summer. The Class of 2028 prospect led Austin Prep in innings pitched last spring before flashing a 95-mph fastball on the biggest stages this summer.
Cunningham's heater topped out at 95.1 mph at the PBR Future Games, and he also pitched for Team USA at the National Team Development Program. Cunningham will not take the mound for Austin Prep (Mass.) in the spring of 2027 -- and perhaps not at all in 2027, depending on the rehab process. He is expected to contribute with his bat, which is also extremely powerful, producing 105-mph exit velocity highs off a tee.
Cunningham is NEBJ's No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2028, behind only Salisbury School left-hander Francis Conners-Schmid '28. When Conners-Schmid announced his commitment to the University of Virginia this week, Cunningham became New England's top uncommitted prospect in any class.
