While the Yankees’ bullpen has had some more stability as of late with Fernando Cruz and David Bednar forming a dynamic duo, there’s still uncertainty in that group.
Luke Weaver should be able to get big outs, Tim Hill has proven to be extremely reliable against lefties, and Devin Williams has corrected course outside of an umpire-fueled meltdown in Houston.
New York could use another arm to step up and get some big outs in those middle innings with the postseason fast approaching, and they might have a prime candidate for that in Brent Headrick.
Currently on a rehab assignemnt in Triple-A, the left-hander has looked sharp from a velocity and command standpoint in his two outings, a continuation of what we saw during the summer.
With excellent swing-and-miss numbers, Headrick profiles as a reliever who could give the Yankees an extra boost to a bullpen that still gives the fanbase unease.
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Why Brent Headrick Could Aid the Yankees’ Bullpen in Playoff Push
Brent Headrick is a fairly inexperienced reliever, but I think the skillset he provides could be a nice boost for a bullpen that could always use more swing-and-miss.
His 40.6% Chase% and 34.1% Whiff% in his 23 innings of work indicate a reliever who can avoid contact in big spots, starting with a big fastball that plays above its velocity.
Sitting at 94 MPH, Headrick’s four-seamer doesn’t have special velocity in today’s game, but his extension and elite vertical ride causes the pitch to get on hitters quicker than the radar gun would indicate.
The issue with this pitch was that Brent Headrick had relied on it far too often, using it over 68% of the time in his first 11 appearances, as batters had a 14.3% Barrel% against him.
When he returned from Triple-A in late-July, he’d increase his slider usage to 31.8% and decrease his fastball usage to 57.4%, and it’s resulted in much better batted ball data.
Headrick pitched in six games without allowing a barrel, and his Hard-Hit% has dropped to 35% over that timespan as well.
If the Yankees can keep the left-hander from getting too fastball-heavy, he could step up as one of their better strikeout weapons in late-game scenarios.
On the season, Headrick has a 3.13 ERA, 3.22 xERA, and a 32.6% K%, all indications that he can be an extremely effective weapon for the Bronx Bombers.
Paul Blackburn would be an easy pitcher to cut in place of Headrick, and with Ryan Yarbrough’s return last week, it would give the Yankees three different lefties heading into the postseason.
It should be noted that he’s had reverse splits this season, meaning that lefties have hit him better than righties, but I think that his slider will keep lefties from maintaining their .622 SLG% against him.
The Yankees’ bullpen could use the shot in the arm, and I think Brent Headrick is more than capable of doing so as they enter the final weeks of the regular season.
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