The New York Yankees‘ offense has dominated the headlines as they march toward their first World Series appearance in over a decade, but the impact of their bullpen cannot be overlooked. While sluggers like Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto get much of the attention, the unsung heroes in the bullpen have played a crucial role in the team’s playoff success.
Tim Hill’s Remarkable Journey
One standout has been 34-year-old journeyman Tim Hill, who has become a reliable option in some of the Yankees’ highest-leverage situations. Hill began his 2024 season with the Chicago White Sox, where he struggled, posting a 5.87 ERA over 23 innings. However, after joining the Yankees for the final stretch of the season, he turned things around dramatically, pitching 44 innings with a 2.05 ERA, a 76.4% left-on-base rate, and a 69.9% ground ball rate.
Hill’s transformation has made him an integral part of the bullpen. While he isn’t known for generating strikeouts, Hill excels at inducing weak contact and ground balls, fitting perfectly into pitching coach Matt Blake’s strategy. Remarkably, Hill ranks in the 100th percentile for barrel percentage, meaning he rarely gives up hard contact. Conversely, he ranks in just the 1st percentile for whiff percentage and strikeout rate, which shows he allows hits, but they are often harmless.
Hill’s Pitching Style and Playoff Performance
Hill’s arsenal consists of a sinker, a four-seam fastball, and a slider. Blake isn’t as concerned with opponents’ batting averages against Hill but instead focuses on the quality of contact they make. This postseason, Hill has posted a 1.59 ERA over 5.2 innings, striking out 3.18 batters per nine innings. His walk rate has dropped to 1.59, his left-on-base rate is 71.4%, and he is generating a 63.2% ground ball rate, all of which have been key to his effectiveness.
In short, Hill has become a crucial component of the Yankees’ bullpen, and his ability to keep Cleveland’s offense in check during the ALCS helped propel the team to the World Series.
Hill’s Impact in the ALCS
In Saturday’s series-clinching win against the Cleveland Guardians, Hill delivered another strong performance, tossing 1.1 innings on 19 pitches, allowing just one hit and one walk, but escaping without allowing a run. His effort set up Jake Cousins for a dominant 1.1 innings in which Cousins struck out four batters. The bullpen, including Hill, paved the way for Luke Weaver to close the game over two innings after the Yankees gave Weaver a well-deserved rest day on Friday.
Hill pitched in every ALCS game and consistently delivered when called upon. His pitch mix worked effectively against the Guardians, though the Yankees may need to adjust their bullpen strategy depending on whether they face the New York Mets or the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Regardless of the opponent, Hill’s contributions have been invaluable to the Yankees’ success.
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Looking Ahead to the World Series
As the Yankees prepare for the World Series, they’ll be looking to continue relying on Hill and the rest of the bullpen to sustain their momentum. The relief corps, anchored by Hill’s ground-ball inducing style, has been a significant factor in the team’s playoff success. Whether they face the Mets or Dodgers, recalibrating their approach to fit the opponent’s strengths will be crucial, but with their bullpen firing on all cylinders, the Yankees are in a strong position to make a deep run for the championship.