NEW YORK — Ryan Weathers still remembers the story his father told him about that night in 1996. The old Yankee Stadium crowd roaring after a crucial strikeout during the World Series. David Weathers had just punched out Braves catcher Javy Lopez with the tying run at the plate in Game 6.
Nearly three decades later, the younger Weathers now wears the same pinstripes.
“He still says in ’96 when he got that big punchout, it’s the loudest he’s ever heard Yankee Stadium,” Ryan Weathers said Thursday during a video call with reporters.
The 26-year-old left-hander arrived in New York this week via trade from Miami. The Marlins sent him to the Bronx in exchange for four prospects: outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis, along with infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus.
Tuesday afternoon started like any other offseason day for Weathers. He threw a bullpen session, then retreated to his home sauna to recover. He barely sat down on his couch before his phone buzzed.
Peter Bendix, Miami’s president of baseball operations, delivered the news.
“Pure shock,” Weathers recalled. “I just couldn’t believe that the New York Yankees were a team that I could ever have a chance to play for.”
Calls from general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone soon followed. Weathers then spoke with pitching coach Matt Blake, who wasted no time discussing potential adjustments.
Blake’s plan to unlock Weathers’ potential
The Yankees see untapped upside in their new acquisition. Ryan Weathers owns a 3.74 ERA over 24 starts the past two seasons with Miami. His fastball sits in the high 90s. His changeup, sweeper and slider all generated whiff rates above 33 percent in 2025.
But Blake believes better pitch usage could elevate Weathers further.
“We’re gonna get into it a little bit more in the coming days, but probably more just of a usage adjustment, especially with a lot of left-handed batters,” Weathers said. “I don’t feel like I’m utilizing my two seamers where I could open up the zone a little bit for my four seamer and my sweeper.”
Last season, Weathers relied heavily on his four-seam fastball at 44.5 percent usage. His sinker came in at just 3.9 percent. The Yankees want him to mix in more two-seam action against lefties. The goal is to create better opportunities for his other pitches to play up.
“I think the biggest goal is I want to be in the zone,” Weathers said. “I think that a really big X factor for me is being able to get guys out in the zone, just trusting my stuff over the heart of the plate and getting guys out.”
Father and son share a path to pinstripes
Ryan Weathers@X
David Weathers pitched 19 seasons in the majors across nine teams. His stint with the Yankees came via a 1996 deadline deal from the Marlins. He allowed one run over 11 postseason innings that October as New York captured its first championship since 1978.
“Obviously, we’ve kind of had weird, similar paths as to how we got to New York, both going from the Marlins to the Yankees,” Ryan said.
When Ryan makes his Yankees debut, they will become the fifth father-son duo to wear pinstripes. The list includes Yogi and Dale Berra, Clay and Cody Bellinger, Mark Leiter and Mark Leiter Jr., and Ron Davis and Ike Davis.
David learned about the trade while watching a basketball game at Loretto High School in Tennessee, where he now coaches baseball.
“One of my friends came up and said, ‘I think Ryan’s been traded to the Yankees,'” David recalled. “And I said: ‘Well, if he has, I hadn’t heard anything about it.’ We laughed, and about that time my phone started ringing. It was Ryan.”
Lessons from big league clubhouses
Ryan spent his childhood around major league locker rooms. He played pickle with Dusty Baker, Ramon Hernandez, Eric Milton and Juan Castro. He watched Joey Votto and Ken Griffey Jr. during his father’s years with the Reds.
“I just remember Pops taking me to the field every day,” Weathers said. “I know when his arm was hurting, he’d still throw me BP.”
"It’s just a cool environment. I’ve loved playing there on the road… it’s the big leagues. I’m excited.”
Aaron Harang, who pitched 14 years in the majors and remained close to David, still mentors Ryan today.
“He still texts me all the time,” Weathers said. “When I was younger, I didn’t really care about pitching. I just wanted to hit bombs in the outfield, so I didn’t really think about it.”
David’s guidance proved valuable when Ryan faced adversity early in his career. The Padres selected him seventh overall in 2018. He struggled through parts of three seasons before a trade sent him to Miami in 2023.
“When I first started going through it and getting adversity and getting traded, he really helped me along those lines of figuring out: This is what you do with your new team. This was what you do in your day-to-day,” Ryan said.
Health finally on his side
Injuries plagued Weathers the past two seasons. A strained left index finger limited him in 2024. Last year, a flexor strain kept him sidelined until mid-May. A lat strain then shelved him from June through September.
He made just eight starts in 2025, posting a 3.99 ERA.
“This is the best I’ve probably felt in a year-and-a-half,” Weathers said. “I really did a dive and worked with company on figuring out how to lengthen my lat out, lengthen my back out. We really adjusted a lot of my lifting patterns. We really adjusted my mobility and my prep work, and I think my arm is reaping the benefits right now.”
The Yankees need him healthy. Their rotation opens the season without Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt as all three recover from surgeries. Rodon should return sometime in April. Cole projects for May or June. Schmidt remains a longer-term recovery.
New York expects Weathers to compete for a rotation spot alongside Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil.
Ready to embrace any role
Weathers carries a 3.77 ERA in 15 career relief appearances compared to 5.08 over 55 starts. The Yankees could use him out of the bullpen once their injured starters return.
“Whatever the Yankees want me to do,” Weathers said. “My job is to throw the baseball whenever they give it to me and whatever capacity that is for however long it is. I’m just looking forward to learning from a lot of these guys.”
He plans to keep a low profile in spring training.
“I’m not gonna go to anybody,” Weathers said with a laugh. “I’m gonna be in my locker, and when somebody talks to me, I’ll talk to them, but I’m not gonna step on anybody’s toes.”
Still, the excitement in his voice was unmistakable.
“I’m just looking forward to putting the pinstripes on,” Weathers said. “It’s an incredible honor when an organization of this caliber wants me to pitch for them.”
His father made that same stadium roar 30 years ago. Now Ryan Weathers gets his chance to create his own October memory in the Bronx.
