Once denigrated as a puzzling addition, Fernando Cruz is making a big difference for the Yankees in saving narrow leads with his signature splitter.
Six scoreless innings from Carlos Rodon left the Yankees clinging to a fragile 1-0 advantage Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. With Tampa Bay lurking and three precarious frames remaining, Fernando Cruz strode to the mound with steely resolve — and promptly slammed the door shut.
The 35-year-old reliever once considered a puzzling addition to the Yankees’ bullpen, has transformed into one of baseball’s most devastating relief weapons. His eighth-inning masterclass against the Rays might be his most impressive showing yet.
Three batters faced. Three consecutive outs. Two emphatic strikeouts. One thoroughly confused opposing lineup.
The Yankees’ defense had already provided stellar support behind Rodón. The offense had scratched across the minimum necessary run. Now Cruz needed to protect that delicate margin. Armed with a splitter that defies physics and baffles hitters, the Yankees pitcher delivered another clinical performance, preserving Rodón’s brilliance and extending New York’s winning streak.
Cruz’s splitter: The gift from God
Shortstop Anthony Volpe offered perhaps the most vivid description of Cruz’s signature pitch.
“It doesn’t even make sense,” the Yankees shortstop said of Cruz’s splitter. “You feel like you’re right on it, and then you swing, and it’s like the ball’s only halfway there.”
The “glitch pitch,” as Rodón has dubbed it, represents genuine baseball wizardry. While other teams overlooked Cruz following his unimpressive 4.86 ERA with Cincinnati last season, Yankees scouts detected something extraordinary in his underlying metrics: despite middling results, the pitcher led all MLB relievers with a staggering 14.72 K/9 and ranked third with a 37.8% strikeout rate.
Now in 2025, those hidden talents have fully blossomed. Cruz currently paces all American League relievers with 18 strikeouts. His strikeout percentage has surged to an astonishing 42.1%, while opponents’ whiff rate has exploded from 38.2% to an almost incomprehensible 50%. The splitter fuels this remarkable dominance.
“That’s my gift from God,” Cruz said. “I’m really grateful and intentional in maximizing its potential. That’s what I’m doing. I just want to keep that pitch alive and keep executing it.”
Boone: Cruz makes good hitters look bad
Cruz dispatched the Rays’ eighth inning with surgical precision, inducing a Yandy Diaz popup before fanning both Taylor Walls and top prospect Junior Caminero. Yankees manager Aaron Boone couldn’t contain his amazement.
“I’ve never seen that many bad swings on one pitch,” Boone said. “When he executes the splitter, it looks like the hitters have never faced a baseball before.”
To maximize this exceptional weapon, pitching coach Matt Blake implemented bold strategic changes. Cruz’s cutter, previously thrown over 25% of the time, has been eliminated entirely. His traditional fastball now takes secondary importance behind a sinker. Most significantly, the Yankees pitcher deploys his splitter for nearly 55% of his pitches — and batters remain helpless against it.
Cruz attributes his success to both the Yankees’ coaching and a higher power.
From baseball castoff to Bronx bullpen hero
Cruz’s path to becoming one of baseball’s most unhittable relievers represents an extraordinary tale of persistence.
Initially drafted as a shortstop by Kansas City in 2007, Cruz converted to pitching in 2011 — only to be released after struggling to a 7.32 ERA in rookie ball. He then spent six years grinding through international winter leagues and even suited up for the New Jersey Jackals in independent baseball.
He finally reached the majors with Cincinnati in 2022 — at age 32.
Three years later, he’s emerged as an indispensable late-inning weapon for the Yankees — the organization he idolized growing up in Puerto Rico.
“Helping my dream team win games in key situations — it’s just a dream come true,” Cruz said. “I’m really grateful and very happy for what’s happening with me.”
Before Cruz’s appearance, Carlos Rodon battled through six intense innings, surrendering just two hits and four walks while recording nine strikeouts. This gutsy performance marked a significant turnaround from his rocky start to 2025 and his finest showing in pinstripes this season.
Anthony Volpe demonstrated remarkable defense while Paul Goldschmidt, Oswaldo Cabrera, and J. C. Escarra knocked down the Rays with locked-in glove work.
Building Yankees bullpen beast
Despite Cruz’s troubling spring training — which produced a bloated 9.95 ERA — he maintained faith in the development process. The Yankees completely revamped his approach, overhauling his pitch selection, refining his mechanics, and adjusting his positioning on the mound.
“I changed practically everything,” the Yankees pitcher acknowledged. “But the staff gave me the information I needed, and I embraced it. Now, it’s paying off.”
Cruz emphasizes that the bullpen’s cohesion has enhanced his performance. He points to constant communication among relievers, noting how they keep each other informed. The Yankees pitcher believes they have the best staff to receive their information and make appropriate decisions.
Cruz’s remarkable resurgence transcends mere feel-good storytelling — it provides the Yankees with strategic versatility. No longer dependent solely on Luke Weaver in high-leverage situations, manager Boone now possesses multiple shutdown options. Cruz’s splitter proves equally effective against both right and left-handed batters, while his composed demeanor brings veteran stability to the relief corps.
As New York battles to maintain its position atop the AL East standings, one thing becomes increasingly evident: Cruz may have joined the Yankees with minimal fanfare, but his contribution has proven absolutely essential.
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