Leiter Jr. steps up big when Yankees bullpen wears thin, saves LA nail-biter

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The New York Yankees’ bullpen, already stretched thin after back-to-back high-leverage games, needed someone to step up on Wednesday night in Anaheim. That someone was Mark Leiter Jr. — and he delivered a win without having much offensive insurance to lean on.

Tasked with protecting a narrow 1-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Leiter silenced the Los Angeles Angels to seal a series sweep for the Yankees. It wasn’t without tension. And it wasn’t without debate. But the right-hander proved yet again that he’s no longer just a depth arm — he’s a reliable third option behind Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.

A save, a fist pump, and a controversy

With two outs and a runner on first, Leiter faced Logan O’Hoppe with the game on the line. After battling to a two-strike count, the Yankees closer uncorked a curveball that missed the plate — but umpire Ben May called it strike three.

Leiter celebrated with a subtle fist pump. The Yankees spilled out of the dugout. The Angels stood stunned.

“That wasn’t a strike?” Leiter joked postgame. Catcher J.C. Escarra was more blunt: “It was definitely a ball. It was way out there.”

The call ended the game and preserved Leiter’s second save of the season, but it also added fuel to the growing argument for MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system. Controversy aside, Leiter did his job — and did it well.

Bullpen-by-committee pays off

With both Weaver and Williams unavailable after recent workloads, Yankees manager Aaron Boone turned to a bullpen-by-committee plan behind Clarke Schmidt, who tossed six scoreless innings.

Ian Hamilton handled 1 2/3 innings. Tim Hill came in for a single lefty matchup. And Leiter, a pitcher Boone hoped to rest, got the nod for the ninth.

“I actually wanted to stay away from using him tonight,” Boone admitted. “But it was going to be a save-only situation. Clarke gave us length, and the rest of the guys did a great job. We just needed one more arm.”

That arm delivered — despite Angels slugger Jo Adell scorching the first pitch of the inning 112 mph directly at third baseman Jorbit Vivas for the first out. Leiter struck out Taylor Ward with a series of well-placed splitters, then walked Jorge Soler. O’Hoppe, the potential hero, never got that chance.

A season of growth

Leiter, 32, has been one of the quiet success stories of the Yankees’ 2025 campaign. After struggling following a midseason trade from the Cubs in 2024 — where he posted a 4.98 ERA in 21 regular-season outings — Leiter was left off the initial playoff roster. But due to injuries, he was reactivated and delivered a dominant October, including six scoreless World Series outs.

This year, he’s elevated his game further.

In 26 appearances, Leiter owns a 2.28 ERA, 35 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings, and a 94th percentile whiff rate, per Statcast. His hard-hit rate? Just 28.8 percent.

Boone attributes much of that improvement to increased sinker velocity, now averaging 94 mph — up from 91.5 mph last year — and a retooled pitch mix.

“We noticed right away that the stuff was crisper,” Boone said. “More life to the sinker. He’s also throwing it more, and that’s opened up everything else — the splitter, the breaking ball.”

A father-son fix

Leiter credits the off-season work he did with his father, Mark Leiter Sr., a former big-league pitcher who spent part of 1990 with the Yankees, as key to his resurgence.

“It was a lot of things,” Leiter Jr. said. “Getting into better delivery principles. I worked on mechanics and how to generate more velocity. It definitely gives you a little uptick in everything you do.”

Leiter’s splitter has become a weapon, producing a 52.3 percent whiff rate, and his curveball, though occasionally wayward (as O’Hoppe might attest), adds a third layer of deception.

For Leiter, Wednesday night wasn’t just about the save — it was about trust.

“To be honest, it was calming knowing I’d be used in the ninth,” he said. “You just lock in. With a couple of guys down, you know it’s your turn. You’ve got a job to do.”

And that job now seems more permanent.

From backup to bullpen mainstay

Boone said Leiter’s mindset — calm and focused — makes him a dependable Yankees arm in high-leverage spots.

“He’s super competitive,” Boone said. “The bigger the moment, the more he thrives. He’s fearless.”

Wednesday’s win was tight, emotional, and imperfect. But it highlighted the Yankees’ adaptability — and the rise of a reliever who’s becoming much more than just a third option.

“It’s all about executing in that moment,” Leiter said. “Sometimes it’s clean, sometimes it’s close. But you just find a way.”

That’s what contenders do. And Mark Leiter Jr. is pitching like one.

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