The Yankees are gripping the wheel tightly right now, watching a bullpen that once looked steady veer wildly off course.
Each late-inning stumble feels like déjà vu, and it’s pushing general manager Brian Cashman closer to scouring the market for new arms.
Fans hoping these problems would iron out internally are instead seeing more games slip away in the late frames.
Mark Leiter Jr.’s dramatic turn has rattled confidence
A huge reason the Yankees’ bullpen was considered a strength early on was Mark Leiter Jr., who began the season lights out.
Now, he’s become more of a question mark than a safety net, carrying a 4.68 ERA across 32.2 innings after another rough outing.
Leiter Jr. gave up two earned runs in less than an inning against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, another blow in what’s been a dreadful June.
Underneath the surface, there’s still hope for a rebound
Oddly enough, Leiter Jr.’s underlying numbers paint a much brighter picture, suggesting he could still snap back into form.
He’s allowing just an 85.6 mph average exit velocity, ranking in the 97th percentile across MLB, which means hitters aren’t squaring him up.
Walks aren’t the culprit either; his command remains sharp, adding to the frustration as unlucky bounces continue to haunt him.
High-leverage moments continue to break this bullpen
For the Yankees, it’s not always the volume of hits allowed — it’s when they come.
Leiter Jr., like several others in the pen, has struggled mightily when the stakes jump, coughing up leads that were once secure.
It’s as if the entire unit collectively tenses up with runners aboard, making fans brace for heartbreak.
Cashman’s trade deadline outlook has likely shifted
Brian Cashman entered this season with the bullpen mostly set, counting on veterans like Leiter Jr. to lock down critical innings.
But with performances unraveling under pressure, there’s a real sense the Yankees may now have no choice but to add proven relief help.
This team has World Series ambitions, and watching late-inning collapses erode leads simply isn’t sustainable.
- Yankees promote 2 electric prospects to Double-A
- Yankees might have to deal 100 mph rookie starter for star third base upgrade
- Yankees News ICYMI: Trade rumors, big time performances, star prospects
Yankees betting on regression to the mean — for now
For now, the Yankees might hope that Leiter Jr. and company normalize, trusting that a stretch of bad luck will finally tilt their way.
That theory is supported by how soft most contact has been, almost like watching perfectly placed bloopers chip away at their confidence.
But baseball doesn’t care about percentile charts when games are on the line; results matter, especially in October.