The Yankees may have caught a break with right-handed reliever Jake Cousins, who recently returned to training after dealing with a forearm injury. Initial concerns about potential ligament damage were put to rest after imaging revealed a healthy UCL, meaning Cousins could still be in play for Opening Day. Given how dominant he was last season, this is a sigh of relief for the Yankees bullpen.
A Key Piece for the Yankees’ Bullpen
Cousins was one of the Yankees’ most effective relievers in 2024, logging 38 innings with a 2.37 ERA. His strikeout numbers were elite, sitting at 12.55 per nine innings, and he paired that with an 81.6% left-on-base rate and a 42.1% ground ball rate. Those are the kind of numbers that make a high-leverage arm indispensable, and the Yankees had big plans for him heading into 2025.
A Devastating Slider-Sinker Combo
Cousins isn’t just effective—his stuff is borderline elite. His primary weapon, a wicked slider, held opposing hitters to a .141 batting average last season. The pitch features 41 inches of vertical drop and 13.8 inches of horizontal break, making it nearly impossible to square up.
To complement that, his sinker was equally lethal, producing a .162 batting average against. At 95.1 mph, his fastball gives hitters another layer to worry about, setting up his breaking pitches beautifully.
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The Road to Opening Day
Cousins is three weeks into a four-week shutdown period, meaning his ramp-up will be crucial if he wants to be ready for the start of the season. With only a month until Opening Day, the Yankees will need to be cautious with his workload. If all goes well, he should be a major factor in the bullpen early in the season, adding another weapon to an already strong relief unit.