Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees won Monday night, but it came despite their bullpen, not because of it. Jake Bird came in after Tim Hill gave up an earned run over 1.2 innings and proceeded to make things considerably worse, giving up four hits, three earned runs, and a homer in one inning. His ERA on the season is now 7.71. The Yankees sent him back to Triple-A after the game, and honestly, it was the right decision.
This is frustrating because Bird actually showed real promise earlier this season. His strikeout rate is at a career-high 11.57 per nine innings and his walk rate has been solid. On paper those two numbers should produce a much better reliever than what the box score is showing. The problem is that opposing hitters are barreling his pitches at an alarming rate, and the sweeper, which was supposed to be one of his best weapons, has become a liability.
The Sweeper Is the Problem
Bird’s sweeper is getting hit for a .364 batting average with an .818 slugging rate this season. That pitch was supposed to be difficult to square up. Right now it’s one of the more hittable offerings he has, and the reason is location. The sweeper keeps landing dead center in the zone instead of breaking into the bottom corners where hitters have to reach for it. When a breaking pitch catches the heart of the plate, hitters do not miss it. They hit it hard, and that is exactly what’s been happening.
It’s worth noting the concern is not limited to Bird. Camilo Doval is dealing with similar command issues, with his slider landing in the wrong part of the zone and getting punished for it. The Yankees’ high-leverage bullpen arms are both struggling with the same fundamental problem: pitches that need to live on the edge of the zone are drifting into the middle of it.
What the Minors Should Do for Him
Sending Bird to Triple-A gives him the opportunity to work through the sweeper location issue without burning the Yankees in meaningful games while he figures it out. In Scranton, he can throw that pitch repeatedly in lower-stakes situations, get immediate feedback from the coaching staff, and rebuild the feel for where the pitch needs to land before he comes back up.
His underlying contact numbers tell you the stuff is still there. He ranks in the 89th percentile in whiff rate and 93rd in walk rate. Those are not the numbers of a pitcher who has lost his ability. They’re the numbers of a pitcher who is one pitch adjustment away from being effective again. Get the sweeper landing where it needs to land and the whole profile changes.
The Yankees still believe in what Bird can be for this bullpen. The demotion is not a death sentence. It’s a reset, and if he can fix the sweeper location in Scranton over the next few weeks, there’s no reason he can’t come back and contribute meaningfully when the roster needs him again.
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