Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had a few priorities at the trade deadline, one of them being to add bullpen support. Ideally, the Yankees wanted pitchers who had good swing and miss potential, which is why they acquired Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs.
The Yankees and Cubs have connected in the past, most recently with the acquisition of Scott Effross during the 2022 season. Unfortunately, Effross hasn’t made a big impact as he recovered from Tommy John surgery and then required back surgery this past winter. However, he’s building his way back up in Triple-A, and the Yankees will likely utilize him at some point this season.
The Yankees Are Getting Substantial Value From Leiter Early
Leiter has looked solid in his first four appearances for the Yankees, totaling four innings. He hosts a 2.25 ERA, including 11.25 strikeouts per nine, a 90% left-on base rate, and a 42.9% ground ball rate. For the most part, Leiter looks great, and the Yankees needed another high-leverage bullpen piece to lean on. When the Yankees needed him most against the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings, he went 1.1 innings and struck out three batters over 22 pitches.
The 33-year-old veteran still has two more years left of control until he’s a free agent in 2027. By then, he may have hit an age wall, but the Yankees are keen on getting maximum value in the meantime. He ranks in the 89th percentile or better in chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate. In addition, he has a 2.79 xERA and a .207 xBA allowed.
The Yankees sent two prospects with some upside in exchange, but he is a legitimate piece and has to make a significant difference during playoff baseball.
Leiter uses a sinker, split fastball, curveball, sweeper and cutter at his disposal. His sinker averages only 91.5 mph, so his game relies heavily on break and location. Since being acquired from the Cubs, Leiter has seen his sinker usage increase substantially and cutter usage significantly. He started to dabble a bit more with his curveball, but the Yankees may simply be playing their matchups and utilizing specific pitches against opportune batters.
Leiter Has The Upside For Even More
Nonetheless, Leiter has a 4.02 ERA on the season but a 2.79 xERA. That means he’s been getting a bit unlucky, which is why the Yankees wanted to capitalize on that metric with the anticipation that he would progress toward more efficient numbers.
- The Yankees have found a playoff closer in former journeyman pitcher
- Yankees: Good news and bad news from 2-1 playoff-clinching win over Mariners
- Yankees can punch their ticket to the postseason with a win against Seattle on Wednesday
Cashman managed to avoid players that have a clear arc of regression heading to the second half, which is why he stayed away from position players like Luis Rengifo. Most would agree the Bombers could’ve done slightly more at the deadline, but adding two bullpen pieces and Jazz Chisholm has helped them win recently. They need to be consistent and remain healthy.