Not much is going well for the Yankees right now. Having lost 16 of 23, not much of the team is seeing success—except the bullpen.
The Unlikely Success Of The Yankees Bullpen
The Yankees have been known to be excellent at cultivating and bringing out pitching talent. And this year only proves it further. As of July 11, the Yanks have had 19 pitchers appear in relief, tied for 3rd-most in the AL. But, despite how many guys they’ve had to call up/bring in from other teams, they’ve seen a lot of success from their relievers.
Makeshift Pen
A good chunk of the pen is made up of guys who weren’t even on the team to start the year. Jake Cousins, Josh Maciejewski, and Ron Marinaccio were all in Triple-A to begin the season. And others, like Tim Hill and Michael Tonkin, were mid-season replacements that have turned into good investments. Tonkin, in particular, has been immaculate, boasting a 1.60 ERA in 33.2 innings as a Yankee.
True, there are other relievers that didn’t pan out (see Phil Bickford). But it’s still impressive that guys like Tonkin and Hill have come into the Bronx and just dominated in pinstripes.
Old Reliables
When the average baseball fan thinks of the Yankees’ bullpen, the first name that comes to mind is Clay Holmes. Even though he is an All-Star, his numbers don’t tell of how rocky some of his appearances have been, even if he did earn the save. Nonetheless, Holmes is still an integral piece of this pen, not a guy other teams like to face.
One of the Yankees’ best finds has been Luke Weaver. After acquiring him in 2023, Weaver has been by far the Yanks’ most consistent reliever. His 2.56 ERA ranks 8th in MLB, and he’s racked up 57 K’s in 52.2 innings. If Aaron Boone needs someone to lock down the opposing team for multiple innings, this is his guy.
Bottom Line
What is most impressive about this Yankees’ pen is how the majority of its pitchers have seen success this year. Aside from Caleb Ferguson, Ian Hamilton, and Yoendrys Gomez, all qualified relievers have an ERA under 4.00. Essentially, they’re so good because the pen as a whole is pitching well, not just a few individual guys.
However, one of the big things that their pen lacks is a big-time lefty. Power lefties like Mason Miller and Tanner Scott are options, but they may be too costly for Brian Cashman. The likely alternative is what the Yankees do most often: find a no-namer on a losing team with high potential, then let Matt Blake and his staff work their magic.
Every World Series contender has a strong back-end in the bullpen. With the way things are currently going, the Yankees should focus on making their bullpen a strong suit if they want to be contenders.
Main Photo Credits: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
