Ryan Yarbrough doesn’t overpower hitters, but he’s overpowering opposing lineups. The crafty left-hander bounced back from an early home run to dominate Monday night, leading the New York Yankees to a 5-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.
The victory pushed the Yankees to 33-20, extending their winning streak to three games. They’ve now captured 14 of their past 18 contests. Yarbrough’s finesse approach continues paying dividends as he establishes himself in the rotation.
The Yankees signed Yarbrough just three days before the season, keeping in view his bullpen caliber. However, in Los Angeles, his starting stuff and steady results highlighted him as a true fit in the Yankees’ rotation.
Rocky start but flawless Finish
Yarbrough started with immediate trouble. His sixth offering of the night — a changeup to leadoff hitter Zach Neto — sailed 440 feet over the center field wall. The solo blast gave Los Angeles an early advantage.
That mistake proved to be Yarbrough’s only significant error. He dominated from that point forward, retiring 18 of the following 20 batters he faced. The Angels managed just two additional hits and one walk against the veteran southpaw, who recorded seven strikeouts.
The 333-year-old pitcher’s final statistics were: 6.0 innings pitched, 2 hits allowed, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts.
“He’s unflappable,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Boone has increasingly relied on Yarbrough as injuries have reshuffled the rotation. “To be able to get us six strong like that, great tone-setter for the series.”
Unexpected Yankees rotation anchor emerges
AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian
Yarbrough has made four starts since claiming a full-time rotation spot in early May. His 2.25 ERA across those appearances has been exceptional. Including eight earlier relief outings, his season ERA stands at 3.06.
His rotation opportunity arose after Clarke Schmidt was scratched on May 3 with side soreness. Carlos Carrasco’s subsequent designation for assignment opened another spot. The Yankees needed dependability and innings. The 33-year-old veteran has provided both.
Boone praised Yarbrough’s unique style, describing him as “elbows and knees” due to his deceptive mechanics and varied velocities. His fastball peaks around 88 mph but he frequently drops into the high 60s. This contrasts sharply with today’s power-pitching trends.
“It’s a different look,” Boone explained. “It’s different from pretty much everything you see. You see, typically speaking, so many big arms nowadays, whether it’s a big fastball, big breaking ball, whatever. He’s 6-foot-5 with elbows and knees and some deception in the delivery. He changes speeds really well. He has a number of different pitches. He uses both sides of the plate up and down. I really like watching him pitch and watching him go about it, and here in 2025 it’s a different way of doing it.”
Artistry over velocity
The former Tampa Bay Ray has built his career on deception rather than dominance. Monday’s performance exemplified his approach perfectly. Yarbrough utilized five different pitch types, with velocities spanning from 69 to 89 mph. Despite the modest speeds, Angels hitters couldn’t make solid contact.
Yarbrough joined the Yankees just three days before Opening Day on a one-year deal. He has maximized every opportunity since.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “I think it’s just been having a really good approach, talking with the pitching staff and [Austin] Wells about great game planning… mixing speeds, keeping them guessing up there.”
Yarbrough attributes his success to disrupting hitters’ timing. It’s an old-school skill often forgotten in the modern game’s obsession with velocity.
“I’ve never been the guy to just blow up a radar gun,” he said. “It’s a little unorthodox, not something they’re used to seeing every day.”
Manager’s confidence continues growing
Boone has made clear that Yarbrough has earned his rotation spot through performance. What started as an emergency duty has evolved into a crucial role.
“He’s become an important part of the staff,” Boone said. “Early on, it was giving us three innings on a day we needed them. Now he’s serving that role in the rotation and he’s done a really good job for us.”
The Yankees signed Yarbrough for $2 million after he opted out of a minor-league contract with Toronto. Originally viewed as a long reliever, his track record with Tampa Bay made him a candidate for expanded duties when needed.
“I’ve always admired him from across the field,” Boone said. “He’s just got a really good demeanor, a really good disposition. He’s confident in his ability. He knows he does it a different way.”
Hot streak continues as division lead grows
NYY
Yarbrough’s stellar pitching received offensive support from Anthony Volpe when it mattered most.
The Yankees trailed 1-0 entering the fourth inning before exploding for four runs. Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge reached base safely with consecutive singles to load the bases. Cody Bellinger‘s four-pitch walk brought home the tying run.
Volpe then delivered the decisive blow. His three-run double to deep center field cleared the bases and shifted momentum permanently toward New York.
“Just keep it simple, get the ball up and get it to the outfield,” Volpe said. “I wanted to stay within myself, stay within my approach, and see where it went.”
Volpe has been red-hot recently, batting .284 with a .838 OPS over his last 27 games. Nine of his past 16 hits have gone for extra bases.
Monday’s victory extended the Yankees’ exceptional recent run. The team has posted a 14-4 record over its last 18 games while maintaining a six-game advantage over Tampa Bay in the AL East standings.
Volpe captured the team’s current mindset: “Every night we’re going out with confidence in each other. We feel really good about the brand of baseball we’re playing.”
That confidence begins on the mound — even when the fastball barely reaches 70 mph.
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