Yankees high-leverage reliever is ready to take the ball for a third straight day if needed

In October, every pitch feels like it carries the weight of a season. For the New York Yankees, that pressure now falls squarely on the bullpen, where Fernando Cruz, Devin Williams, and David Bednar have emerged as the team’s most trusted weapons heading into Thursday’s decisive Wild Card Game against the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees’ relief corps has hardly been a model of reliability this year, but in a series marked by tension, chaos, and razor-thin margins, those three arms have given Aaron Boone something every manager craves in October: confidence when the game is hanging by a thread.

Fernando Cruz embraces the moment

If there’s a heartbeat to this Yankees bullpen, it might be Fernando Cruz. The right-hander, who has battled through more than most to reach this stage, didn’t hesitate when asked if he and his fellow relievers would be ready for the pressure of a winner-take-all battle.

“I would never, never, never doubt that,” Cruz told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic when asked if he, Williams, and Bednar, who have pitched in consecutive games leading up to Thursday, can do it for a third straight day. “We’re all in and pitching well, and we’re going to be ready for the whole thing.”

Cruz has thrown just 28 pitches across the first two games of the series. That light usage is a luxury Boone can’t ignore. With the season on the line, Cruz’s combination of confidence and effectiveness makes him the kind of arm you want on the mound when the atmosphere turns suffocating.

Devin Williams remains the stabilizer

If Cruz brings the emotion, Devin Williams provides the composure. His funky changeup has long been a nightmare for opposing hitters, and in this series, it has given the Yankees a stabilizing force. Williams has logged 30 pitches so far—manageable enough that he should be ready to go again in Game 3.

What makes Williams indispensable isn’t just his stuff, but his ability to control the chaos. In an environment where one mistake can unravel an inning, Williams’ poise is something Boone can’t afford to waste. It wasn’t always like this, though: he couldn’t buy an out for long stretches in the regular season, but he has turned things around and deserves high praise.

David Bednar’s closing mentality

Then there’s David Bednar, who embodies the bulldog mentality the Yankees need most. At 31 pitches across the first two games, his workload isn’t insignificant, but he hasn’t looked close to fatigued. If Thursday’s game comes down to the ninth inning—or even earlier—Bednar is the man Boone trusts to slam the door.

Bednar’s presence gives the Yankees a certain edge. Much like a hockey goalie who can steal a playoff series, Bednar has the kind of closer’s aura that can turn momentum in an instant.

The depth question Boone can’t avoid

Beyond Cruz, Williams, and Bednar, the waters get murkier. The Yankees have other arms—Paul Blackburn, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver, and rookie Will Warren—but none carry the same level of trust. Boone knows he can’t ride his top trio for more than a few innings, though. At some point, he’ll have to hand the ball to someone else, a move that could define the season.

That’s the manager’s tightrope: lean too heavily on the trusted three, and fatigue could set in. Stray too far from them, and the Red Sox lineup may pounce.

Chasing history against Boston

The stakes add an extra layer of urgency. The Yankees haven’t eliminated the Red Sox in a postseason series since 2003. For veterans and fans alike, that drought lingers like a scar. This Game 3 isn’t just about advancing—it’s about exorcising two decades of frustration against a rival that has too often played spoiler.

Every pitcher on the roster, with the obvious exception of starters like Carlos Rodón and Max Fried, will be on call. But the heartbeat of Thursday’s contest will run through Cruz, Williams, and Bednar. They are the arms Boone trusts most, and the arms the Yankees need if they want to write a new chapter in their rivalry with Boston.

And like Cruz said, there’s no doubt in their minds—they’re ready.