In the bottom of the fifth inning, Carlos Rodon looked to be nearing the end of the line, and the Yankees decided to pull him with runners on second and third with two out. It wasn’t Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, or Luke Weaver trotting out in his place, but rather Mark Leiter Jr. who is only here because of Ian Hamilton’s injury. He would be one of many relievers who were counted out during the regular season to enter this game for the Yankees, as they needed nothing short of perfection in order to set up the magical home run from Juan Soto.
Following two straight games where the Yankees’ bullpen imploded, they would ask for their lesser-known arms to step up as their high-leverage weapons seemed out of gas. In October, unsung heroes define a team’s legacy, and after getting a short outing from Carlos Rodon with a bullpen that was on its last legs, they were saved once more by their rag-tag relievers.
Unlikely Heroes Send the Yankees to Their 41st World Series
Mark Leiter Jr. was a disaster for the Yankees after being acquired from the Cubs at the deadline, but he delivered two of the biggest outs in the postseason. Getting Steven Kwan out in Game 4 ended up being the most impactful out of the ALCS in terms of Championship Win Probability Added (+3.21%) and last night he got another massive out when he got David Fry to ground out with two on and two out.
His outs served massive as he was able to hand the ball to Tim Hill in the sixth inning, and after Bo Naylor sawed off a pitch at his hands for a single, he immediately neutralized the Guardians with a double play. The left-hander would pick up another two outs via a double play in the seventh inning, and he’s been one of the best relievers in this bullpen during the postseason.
After posting a 5.87 ERA with the Chicago White Sox, who ended up setting records for their ineptitude, Hill was DFA’d in June and cleared waivers. 28 teams in baseball passed up on a chance to roster him, but he’s delivered seven outings with a 1.59 ERA and 63.2% GB% in October. He appeared in 35 games during the regular season with a 2.05 ERA, as he’s just tossed fastballs and racked up outs with ease.
Who followed up a pitcher who even the 2024 White Sox didn’t want to roster? Jake Cousins, another arm who was cast off Chicago’s roster as the Yankees acquired him for cash considerations at the start of the regular season. After bursting onto the scene with the Brewers in 2021, he dealt with injuries and a sharp regression in 2022 and 2023, finding himself as a Minor League FA before he landed with the White Sox.
He posted a 4.82 ERA in nine outings in 2023 with a 6.35 ERA in the Minor Leagues, and even to start the season he was viewed as nothing more than a filler arm. The Yankees optioned Jake Cousins in April and we wouldn’t see him again until June, when he became one of the team’s best arms. He struck out 34.2% of batters across 38 innings with a 2.37 ERA, and after running out of gas in the second inning of work in Game 4, he was untouchable in Game 5.
Cousins punched out four of his five batters as he was able to bridge the gap to star closer Luke Weaver, who promptly delivered the final six outs of this ballgame. People know Weaver now as this team’s bullpen ace but forget that he’s just a year removed from a horrendous campaign that made him ponder retirement.
Luke Weaver was the worst pitcher in baseball last season. Among pitchers with at least 110 innings pitched, he had the worst ERA in the sport (6.40) and was designated for assignment twice. He had pondered retirement during that season, as it was another career-low for the right-hander. A former first-round pick who was so coveted that he was a big part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade in 2018, he has finally found his role as the Yankees’ closer.
He finally looked mortal in Game 3 when he allowed a back-breaking two-run bomb with two outs against Jhonkensy Noel, but with a chance to finish the job and send the Yankees to the World Series, he found his cerebral form again. It was a six-out save for a pitcher who embodies the underdog story perfectly. When the Yankees needed their bullpen to step up and be perfect, it was a group of arms who posted a combined 5.40 ERA in 2023 that saved the day.
Dumpster diving for pitching has always been frowned upon, but the Yankees have built a strong bullpen doing so. Each of these pitchers was designated at some point in 2023 or 2024, and yet they’ve found themselves front-and-center in helping the Yankees capture their first pennant since the 2009 season.
This team is defined by the adversity they’ve faced, and they hope to finish the job by delivering a World Series title to the Bronx.