The Yankees made two key bullpen acquisitions at the summer trade deadline to bolster a struggling unit. They brought in Enyel De Los Santos from the San Diego Padres, who has already been released, and veteran Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs.
The Plan vs. Reality: Evaluating the Yankees’ Acquisitions
The Yankees aimed to add two relief arms with strong swing-and-miss abilities. While Leiter does rank in the 93rd percentile for chase rate and the 97th percentile for whiff rate, he has been more of a liability than an asset since joining the Yankees.
Leiter’s Struggles on the Mound
The 33-year-old Leiter has a 4.60 ERA on the season, but his ERA with the Yankees is a troubling 5.91 over 10.2 innings. Although his strikeout rate is up to 13.50 per nine innings, his ground ball rate has dropped dramatically from 50.6% to 30.3%. Additionally, he’s walking 5.06 batters per nine innings and giving up 2.53 home runs per nine, a significant increase that raises concerns about his reliability in high-pressure situations.
August Woes for Leiter
In August, Leiter has posted a 6.23 ERA and allowed an earned run in three of his last four appearances. The Yankees recently cut Michael Tonkin for similar reasons, but since Leiter has two more years of control before free agency in 2027, it is unlikely he will be released. His expected ERA of 3.49 suggests he may have been somewhat unlucky this year.
Adjusting Leiter’s Pitch Usage
Leiter’s approach relies more on pitch movement than velocity. His sinker averages just 91.5 mph and has been his weakest pitch, yielding a .364 batting average and a .530 slugging rate. The Yankees may consider reducing its usage.
Since being acquired from Chicago, pitching coach Matt Blake has adjusted Leiter’s pitch usage, increasing his reliance on the curveball while decreasing his use of the sweeper. Interestingly, his sinker usage has increased slightly, while his split-finger fastball has decreased by about 3%.
Rethinking Leiter’s Pitch Strategy
There is evidence that Leiter is attempting to use his curveball more frequently, throwing it 14.3% of the time this season. However, this pitch has resulted in a .273 batting average and a .455 slugging rate, making it another liability in his arsenal. His best pitch has been his split-finger fastball, which is producing a .089 batting average and a .139 slugging rate, with a 58.3% whiff rate. The Yankees may encourage him to rely more heavily on this effective pitch.
Reinforcements on the Horizon
The Yankees are expecting to have Ian Hamilton, Cody Poteet, Clarke Schmidt, and Scott Effross available in the coming weeks. Effross, in particular, has been performing well in Triple-A and could be promoted if additional bullpen support is needed. He has allowed just one earned run over his last seven appearances, showing that he is finding his rhythm after not pitching since 2022.
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With reinforcements on the way, the Yankees are hopeful that their bullpen will strengthen as they head into the final stretch of the season. The team refrained from making substantial moves at the deadline, counting on the return of several key pieces in September.