Ryan Garcia
You might have seen Camilo Doval’s scoreless inning of work against the Giants in the Yankees’ shutout victory which was highlighted by a new sinker.
A nasty dropping pitch that falls off a table as it approaches the plate, it has the look of an offspeed pitch with the speed of a heater, but what’s made this offering so disgusting?
There’s a visible difference in the sinker he threw last year, which had good results but wasn’t used much with his cutter and slider in the fold.
Yesterday was very different though, Doval’s sinker was his primary pitch (58% usage) and it tore through the Giants’ offense, and the changes he’s made to that pitch could make it his best weapon in 2026.
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How the Yankees Have Camilo Doval Throwing a Demonic Sinker
Camilo Doval’s sinker has more depth than last season, and this is something you could track from Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic.
It’s fluctuated in movement at times, but when he’s on he’s able to get far more depth on that pitch which creates those hideous swings and misses at the bottom of the zone.
Without much lateral movement, it looks like a bullet towards the bottom of the zone, and that kind of effect can be devastating especially against hitters.
Very few pitchers can even average under 2 inches of IVB on their sinkers, so when Camilo Doval is on and gets that sharp bite on the pitch, it creates that wicked movement that catches your eye on TV.
The key with this pitch is consistency; sometimes he won’t get on top of the ball well and it causes the pitch to drop less than expected which will leave it more vulnerable to damage contact.
If he’s able to hold that 1-2 IVB shape, the lack of lateral movement could make this a platoon-neutral pitch that generates a lot of swings and misses.
Paired with his cutter and slider, this sinker could help Camilo Doval become a key part of the Yankees’ bullpen, which is arguably the biggest area of uncertainty for this roster.
Finding a reliable bridge to star closer David Bednar could be very difficult if the Yankees don’t get consistency out of Camilo Doval, but if he’s on, this group could be nasty.
Jake Bird, Brent Headrick, and Tim Hill fill out the middle of the bullpen and all of them have added new pitches. They’re not expected to be the team’s best relievers, but should be able to contribute valuable innings.
Getting the vintage version of Doval that was seen as a clear top-10 reliever in the game would be exactly what this team needs to win not just the American League East, but potentially a World Series.
Last season the Yankees had too much uncertainty in their bullpen especially in July and August. If they can get some semblance of stability late in games, they’ll be in a good spot to capture that top seed in the league.
A new sinker might just be exactly what Camilo Doval needed to have a big-time season in 2026 and quiet the very valid concerns regarding New York’s bullpen.
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