NEW YORK — When the Yankees needed a closer last July, they did not go after a rental. They went after a two-time All-Star with a year of control remaining, a 97 mph fastball, a wipeout curveball and a nickname that fits the Bronx perfectly.
David Bednar, known as “the Bednar Bandit” and “El Oso” (Spanish for “the Bear”), arrived from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31 and quickly became the ninth-inning answer the Yankees had been searching for across three seasons of closer instability. He enters 2026 as the undisputed Bronx closer on a $9 million contract, and for the first time in years, the Yankees feel settled at the back of their bullpen.
Here is everything Yankees fans need to know about the man now tasked with slamming the door shut in the Bronx.
From the 35th round to the All-Star game
Bednar’s path to the major leagues was anything but conventional. He grew up in Mars, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. No Division I program offered him a scholarship, so he attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he went 7-16 with a 3.79 ERA and 188 strikeouts across three seasons. The San Diego Padres selected him in the 35th round of the 2016 draft with the 1,044th overall pick.
He spent four years in the Padres minor league system before debuting in September 2019. He struggled initially with a 6.55 ERA that year. In January 2021, the Padres dealt him to Pittsburgh as part of a three-team trade involving Joe Musgrove.
That trade changed everything. The Pirates converted Bednar into a full-time reliever, and by 2022 he was an All-Star. He made the Midsummer Classic again in 2023 and tied for the National League lead with 39 saves that season. Across five years in Pittsburgh, Bednar posted a 3.01 ERA with 335 strikeouts in 275.1 innings and recorded 101 saves, becoming one of just six pitchers in franchise history to reach that mark.
Why the Yankees traded for him
The Yankees bullpen had been a revolving door at closer for three seasons. Chapman gave way to Holmes, Holmes gave way to Weaver, and Devin Williams was inconsistent after arriving via trade. By mid-summer 2025, the Yankees bullpen had the fifth-highest ERA in baseball dating to June 1.
Bednar was the top reliever available at the deadline. After a brief minor league demotion in early April, he had returned to Pittsburgh and dominated. Over 37 innings from April 19 through the trade, he posted a 1.70 ERA with 50 strikeouts, eight walks, and 17 saves in 17 opportunities. He rattled off 23 consecutive scoreless outings from May 24 to July 26.
“I’ve been pounding the table a little bit for a while now with him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said at the time of the trade.
The Yankees sent catchers Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, along with outfielder Brian Sanchez, to the Pirates. General manager Brian Cashman made the deal knowing Bednar had a year of control remaining through 2026, giving the Yankees closer stability that went beyond a two-month rental.
What Bednar did in pinstripes
The debut in Miami was rough. Bednar allowed two earned runs over 1.2 innings. But he stabilized quickly. In 22 total appearances with the Yankees, he posted a 2.19 ERA with 35 strikeouts and nine walks in 24.2 innings. He recorded 10 saves in 13 opportunities and held opponents to a .159 batting average.
One performance stood out above the rest. On Aug. 6 against the Rangers, Bednar recorded a five-out save in which all five outs came via strikeout. He became the first Yankees pitcher to accomplish that feat since Goose Gossage did it in 1982. Over his final 10 regular season appearances, Bednar went 1-0 with seven saves and a 0.87 ERA, holding opponents to a .091 batting average.
His three-pitch mix proved suited for the Bronx. A 97 mph fastball, a curveball that became his primary put-away pitch, and a splitter that gave hitters a third look. He set a career high with 86 strikeouts across both teams and posted a 2.30 ERA overall with 27 saves in 30 chances.
Bednar carried that form into October. He allowed just one run across six playoff appearances, converting two saves as the Yankees won the Wild Card round against the Red Sox before falling to the Blue Jays in the ALDS.
The 2026 role and what the Yankees expect
The Yankees avoided arbitration with Bednar in January, signing him to a one-year, $9 million deal. He enters 2026 as the clear closer, the first time the Yankees have had a defined ninth-inning arm returning from the prior season since the Chapman era.
There are reasons for both optimism and caution. Bednar’s 84.2 percent strand rate with the Yankees last year was well above his career average, suggesting some regression is possible. But his curveball command has been consistent, his fastball velocity remains elite, and his competitive fire, forged through years of being overlooked and underestimated, fits perfectly in the Bronx.
For a pitcher who was once a 35th-round pick told he was not good enough for a Division I roster, David Bednar has turned doubt into fuel at every stop. The Yankees are counting on him to do it again in 2026.
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