The Yankees have taken a very risky yet calculated approach toward building their bullpen. Currently, they boast a collective 3.71 ERA, ranking 10th in baseball. While this is above average, their fall from grace has been well-documented over the past two months.
Yankees’ Bullpen Strategy: A Risky but Calculated Approach
Pitching coach Matt Blake has deployed a unit mostly made up of value acquisitions. Rather than spending big bucks on bullpen pitchers, he prefers to scoop them up off the open market, targeting players coming off injury or those released by other clubs. One of their recent pickups, Tim Mayza, formerly of the Toronto Blue Jays, may play a significant role for the Yankees down the stretch.
Tim Mayza: A Potential Hidden Gem
Mayza has a career 3.86 ERA, but at 32 years old, the lefty saw a significant reduction in velocity with Toronto over 24.2 innings this season. However, he’s coming off a year where he enjoyed a 1.52 ERA over 53.1 innings. He fits the profile of a player from whom the Yankees manage to extract maximum value.
Despite his strikeout numbers trending down and his ground-ball rate plummeting nearly 20%, the Yankees are aware of his potential. In his first appearance with the Yankees this season, he tossed a scoreless frame, allowed a hit, and added a strikeout.
Promising Signs: Mayza’s Velocity and Potential Impact
Most importantly, Mayza, who’s averaging only 92 mph on his sinker this year, touched 95 on the radar. That’s the type of velocity that Blake has been looking for, and if Mayza can maintain that, he could be much more than just a fill-in for the Yankees bullpen; he could be an impact piece in the middle of their bullpen.
Optimizing Mayza’s Performance
The underlying metrics look solid, with Mayza’s sinker maintaining its shape and movement for the most part. A bit more velocity should help him return to normal levels, and a small tweak in his fundamentals may have been the difference between a lackluster performance and premium contributions.
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The Importance of Mayza in a Volatile Bullpen
Given the team’s volatility in relief over the past few weeks, particularly with acquired bullpen arm Mark Leiter Jr. and Clay Holmes, having a valuable asset like Mayza emerge would be a small silver lining. In the end, if anyone can extract value from Mayza, it’s pitching coach Matt Blake.