The New York Yankees are headed to the 2024 Major League Baseball Postseason. The playoff berth was secured a week ago. The schedule is winding down and October is around the corner. How will the Yankees manage their bullpen situation?
The starting rotation for the Yankees is a conversation in itself. However, the rotation isn’t exactly the spicy portion of the New York pitching lottery. A playoff rotation will most likely include Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodon after Nestor Cortes went on the injured list on Wednesday.
A game being in limbo is where the bullpen comes in. How Aaron Boone and his staff decide to utilize his relievers will dictate the success of the team in postseason play.
Yankees Bullpen Depth: Long Relief Options
New York’s starting rotation is built for depth, and is expected to serve between a minimum of five innings upwards of seven or eight. In a case where long relief is needed, the bullpen has limited options. Relievers will need to be stretched beyond their normal routine in some cases.
Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes
Marcus Stroman’s in-game longevity comes naturally. The original starting pitcher has been flip-flopping between the rotation and the bullpen. Coming into a long-relief situation should be easy for Stroman.
As a matter of fact, the Yankees could pull the Tampa Bay Rays card by starting a reliever, and follow it up with Stroman. The right-hander has a 10-8 record this year, and has been one reason why New York has had a successful regular season.
Nestor Cortes has had the platoon role with Stroman. He’s also a natural starter who has logged a lot of time in the bullpen. Cortes holds a 9-10 record with 174 1/3 innings pitched this year. If he comes back after the ALDS, he could be another long-relief option.
Clayton Beeter
Right-hander Clayton Beeter could see the best of both worlds. If the Yankees decide to include him on the playoff roster, long relief could be in the mix. This year, he has logged 39 innings in scattered appearances for New York.
In 2023, Beeter finished with 131 2/3 innings with a 9-1 record and a 3.62 ERA. Yes, these are minor-league numbers. However, his ability to start games and eat innings would also be a good option for both the long-relief and short-relief roles.
Beeter’s repertoire can help him last three to four cycles around an opponent’s batting order if need be, making him yet another versatile option.
Yankees Short-Relievers and Set-Up Options
Right-handers Ian Hamilton, Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle, and Luke Weaver are all considered for short relief. These guys are one-offs and have not collected 50 or more innings pitched this season.
Most of their outings involve matchup appearances, and getting one or two guys out. They average approximately 1 ⅓ innings of work per game. If need be, Luke Weaver could fit into both roles. His initial slot would be short relief.
Setting it Up
That being said, Weaver could also be considered for a partial set-up man, or the arm leading to the set-up spot. He’s gone 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 83 innings of work. He’s also recorded four saves in four save opportunities.
The set-up options primarily include a right-hander and left-hander that can be used situationally. The righty in the set-up role would be Mark Leiter Jr. who thrives for no more than an inning or two of work.
Leiter Jr has 55 1/3 innings on the year with a 4.72 ERA, 80 strikeouts, and nine walks. His pitch arsenal is built to work once and throw hitters off guard, probing the lineup for the closer.
The southpaw is former Toronto Blue Jay Tim Mayza. Mayza works three pitches effectively and does not depend on a fastball. His sinker and slider force a lot of ground outs when they’re on point. This year he has a 9% barrel percentage and a 45.1% on ground balls.
The Late-Game Stoppers
This has been quite the conversation surrounding the Yankees bullpen throughout the year. In a nutshell, Clay Holmes will be the default “closer.” However, Aaron Boone had opted to make the closer role based on the situation that day.
Holmes ranks eighth in the league for saves with 29. He also holds a 3.28 ERA with a league-leading 13 blown saves. This number makes him vulnerable and a lot less reliable in certain circumstances.
With Cortes out as an emergency option, Luke Weaver seems to be the next best option to secure the ninth inning and on. He has 83 innings on the year with a 2.93 ERA, 101 strikeouts, and four saves.
Weaver mixes a 95.7 mph fastball amongst a blend of changeup, cutter, and knuckle-curve. His options are effective and include two out-pitch options. So far he has a 30.9% strikeout rate, ranking in the top 8% of the league.
Weaver’s barrel percentage sits at 8.2%, with his ground ball and fly ball percentages sitting in the 30 percent range.
YANKEES BULLPEN DEPTH CHART
(* = also starter)
| LONG RELIEF |
| RHP Marcus Stroman* |
| LHP Nestor Cortes * (IL) |
| RHP Clayton Beeter |
| SHORT RELIEF |
| RHP Ian Hamilton |
| RHP Tim Hill |
| RHP Tommy Kahnle |
| RHP Luke Weaver |
| RHP Mark Leiter Jr./span> |
| LHP Tim Mayza |
| SET-UP MAN |
| RHP Mark Leiter Jr./span> |
| RHP Luke Weaver |
| LHP Tim Mayza |
| RHP Clay Holmes |
| CLOSER |
| RHP Clay Holmes |
| RHP Luke Weaver |
| LHP Nestor Cortes (IL) |
Photo Credit: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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