Yankees’ overlooked starter has quietly become one of their biggest assets

The Yankees are navigating a six-game losing streak, and yet one veteran arm continues quietly doing his job every outing.

While the offense searches for life, Ryan Yarbrough has become an unlikely stabilizer in a rotation dealing with injuries and inconsistency.

Yarbrough thrives on deception, not velocity

At 33 years old, Yarbrough isn’t overpowering hitters with speed — his fastball averages just 87.5 mph this season.

Instead, he leans into his strengths: deception, command, and a unique 13° arm angle that creates late movement and soft contact.

His approach is like a chess match, using precision instead of force, making batters uncomfortable without ever hitting high gear.

Through 55.1 innings, Yarbrough has posted a 3.90 ERA, 49 strikeouts, and a strong 1.17 WHIP for the Yankees this year.

More impressively, he ranks in the 94th percentile in average exit velocity and 92nd in hard-hit rate, limiting damaging contact.

Batters are struggling to barrel him up, as evidenced by his elite 87th percentile barrel rate despite modest strikeout numbers.

In Wednesday’s outing against the Los Angeles Angels, Yarbrough went 5.1 innings, allowing two solo homers and striking out three.

Despite those two blemishes, he gave the Yankees a real chance to win against a team known for pitching struggles.

The advanced metrics suggest the home runs were more outliers than trends, given how rarely he surrenders hard contact.

Unfortunately, even strong pitching performances like Yarbrough’s have been wasted due to the Yankees’ recent offensive collapse.

Over the past four games, the Yankees have managed just two total runs, leaving no margin for error on the mound.

It’s been a frustrating stretch, not because of bad pitching, but because of a complete absence of run support lately.

The Yankees expect to get Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil back this summer, adding firepower to a promising rotation.

Still, Yarbrough has earned a role — his ability to bridge games and limit damage gives Aaron Boone crucial flexibility.

Whether as a spot starter or a long-relief weapon, he’s carved out value and trust within a pitching staff full of questions.

Yarbrough may not generate headlines, but his presence has been a vital part of keeping things steady during chaos.

He’s the kind of pitcher who thrives when others falter — not flashy, but frustratingly effective when everything else feels uncertain.