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Yankees' Unsuspecting Pitcher Has Become Massive X-Factor
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- Yankees' Unsuspecting Pitcher Has Become Massive X-Factor
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
The New York Yankees ' bullpen is in dire straits right now. Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn are both gassed, Fernando Cruz is out for the rest of the season and Tim Hill has been subpar most of the year.
The Yankees are waiting on a return from Clarke Schmidt , and Ryan Weathers will likely head to the bullpen once he (hopefully) returns, as well. But what can New York do in the meantime?
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Blackburn was forced to toss 1.2 innings in a win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, something the Yankees would obviously like to avoid.
But New York's recent bullpen conundrum could open the door for one unsuspecting pitcher to become a major X-factor: Ryan Yarbrough .
Yarbrough has been a reliable piece out of the Yankees' pen this season, owning a 3.42 ERA and 1.180 WHIP over 50 innings of work. No, he doesn't have nasty stuff, and his 6.7 K/9 is obviously underwhelming. But he limits traffic, and he has experience.
Remember: last year, Yarbrough acted as sort of a savior in New York's starting rotation when a rash of injuries hit, but then he got injured himself.
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The Yanks appreciated his work so much that they re-signed him during the offseason, and he has continued to represent a versatile arm for them in 2026.
But with how overworked Headrick and Blackburn have been and with the absence of Cruz, the Yankees will need him even more down the stretch.
Yarbrough has just 31 appearances under his belt this year, and he has pitched just four times in August. His arm should definitely be fresh for the final month of the season, and it's not like New York doesn't trust him.
The left-hander can face lefties or righties and has generated an impressive 21.2 percent soft contact rate this season. In fact, his xERA is 3.20, and he has surrendered just three home runs.
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Is Yarbrough going to be anyone's favorite option? No, but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and the 34-year-old has already proven that he can deliver in a pinch.
It will certainly be nice to get both Schmidt and Weathers back, as that would provide a massive boost for the Yankees in the latter innings. But until either of those things happen (Schmidt still needs rehab starts, and Weathers' return is not a sure-fire guarantee), New York must find a solution.
Running Headrick and Blackburn into the ground is not the best way to go about it. It might be time to put some trust in Yarbrough, for better or for worse.
