As September ended, the Yankees’ bullpen was in disarray—an unsettling position for a division champion heading into the playoffs. The decision to promote Luke Weaver to the closer role marked a key turning point. Clay Holmes, who had struggled with control and blown several saves, was shifted back to a setup role, and the move paid off.
The rest is history. Heading into Game 3 of the ALCS, with the Yankees holding a 2-0 lead over the Guardians, only Weaver and Holmes had appeared in all six of the team’s playoff games. The Yankees’ bullpen has demonstrated remarkable consistency and effectiveness through six October games. Their impressive statistics – just three runs (two earned) allowed over 23 ¹/₃ innings, coupled with a stingy 0.857 WHIP – have been crucial in compensating for some brief starts from the rotation.
Key contributors like Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and most recently Tim Hill, have delivered critical outs in high-pressure situations. Their performance is reminiscent of the formidable bullpens that were hallmarks of past Yankees championship teams, known for their reliability in crucial October moments.
Weaver has been particularly reliable, closing out all five of the Yankees’ wins. Combined, Weaver and Holmes have logged 13 2/3 innings against Cleveland and Kansas City, allowing just one run—a solo homer in the ninth inning of the 6-3 win in Game 2.
Holmes, who has been particularly outstanding with 14 ²/₃ scoreless innings across twelve career playoff appearances, expressed awareness of the Yankees’ rich bullpen legacy. He acknowledged the historical significance of strong relief pitching in the team’s success and conveyed the current bullpen’s understanding of both the challenge and the opportunity they face to create something memorable this postseason.
“There’s a lot of history here with really good teams and the bullpens have been a big part of that,’’ he said. “We know the challenge and opportunity we have here to be part of something special.”
This strong bullpen performance has evoked comparisons to the intimidating relief corps of previous Yankees championship teams, setting a high standard for postseason excellence.
Yankees’ bullpen boasts hungry arms
The Yankees’ bullpen has hit its stride at just the right time, showcasing a variety of pitching styles that are proving to be a key asset in the postseason. Clay Holmes continues to rely on his blend of pitches, Tommy Kahnle brings a devastating changeup, Jake Cousins leans on his slider, and Luke Weaver powers through with his fastball.
Adding to this dynamic group is a veteran left-hander, known for his sidearm delivery, who joined the Yankees after being released by the 2024 Chicago White Sox. Reflecting on his struggles with his former team, the pitcher acknowledged that they had prepared him for his current success with the Yankees. His strong five-out performance in Game 2 of the ALCS, in a critical situation, earned him a warm reception from the Yankee Stadium crowd.
This bullpen resurgence is all the more impressive considering the setbacks they’ve faced throughout the season. Jonathan Loaisiga, once poised to be a key setup man, was sidelined early with elbow surgery. Lou Trivino never took the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Scott Effross made only a brief return in September following a long rehab stint.
At the trade deadline, Yankees’ General Manager Brian Cashman brought in Enyel De Los Santos and Mark Leiter Jr., but neither made the postseason roster—De Los Santos didn’t last past August, and Leiter didn’t meet expectations. Michael Tonkin provided relief for a stretch, pitching 56 innings before being released.
The bullpen also saw the departures of key left-handers Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez, who were acquired from the Dodgers to fill the gap left by Wandy Peralta’s free agency. Though they started the season with the team, they are no longer part of the roster. However, they, along with other former Yankees relievers like Dennis Santana, Ron Marinaccio, and Nick Burdi, remain eligible for World Series rings if the team wins it all.
The evolving composition of the Yankees’ bullpen highlights the team’s adaptability and resilience, proving that even with a revolving door of players, success can still be achieved when it matters most.
Yankees bullpen concerns give way to celebrations
According to Yankees bullpen coach Mike Harkey, constant adjustments made throughout the regular season to keep the bullpen fresh, often requiring pitchers to adapt to different roles, is now bearing the result. He acknowledged the concerns from July and August about the bullpen’s readiness for the postseason but stressed that the team remained committed to their strategy, which ultimately proved successful.
Teammate Tommy Kahnle attributed Clay Holmes’ resurgence in September to a tactical shift—reintroducing and increasing the usage of his fastball. Kahnle explained that the team had urged Holmes to rely more on the fastball, which worked in tandem with his sinker and slider to sharpen his overall performance.
Holmes’ adjustment in pitch selection was a turning point, helping to resolve the control issues that had cost him the closer role earlier in the season. His improvement has since become a crucial factor in the Yankees‘ bullpen success.
The Yankees have the MLB’s best closer
In the 2024 playoffs, Luke Weaver has unexpectedly emerged as the most dominant closer, outshining even Emmanuel Clase. Weaver, who only became a closer in September after years as a journeyman starter, has been flawless in his postseason appearances. He has successfully saved all four of his opportunities and closed out all five Yankees victories. Notably, three of his four saves have extended beyond a single inning.
Weaver’s postseason statistics are impressive: nine strikeouts and only three hits allowed in seven innings. He conceded his first playoff run recently – a solo home run to Jose Ramirez, the opposition’s top hitter, in a game where the Yankees held a comfortable four-run lead.
The key to Weaver’s success lies in recent adjustments to his pitching technique. He modified his four-seam fastball release to create more rising movement and altered his changeup release to add depth. Pitching analyst Lance Brozdowski provided an in-depth analysis of these adjustments, highlighting how Weaver has elevated his performance in the postseason.
Weaver’s improvements are most evident in the increased vertical movement of his fastball and the enhanced drop of his changeup. The significant difference in movement between these two primary pitches has become Weaver’s greatest asset, allowing him to create one of the most effective fastball/changeup combinations in baseball.
His fastball has become increasingly explosive, with Weaver now boasting one of the top rising fastballs among right-handed pitchers since early September. The Yankees’ closer averaged 19.3 inches of induced rise in September, his highest for any month in the regular season, and has further improved to 19.6 inches in the playoffs.
Weaver’s changeup, approaching 90 mph, sharply dives below the strike zone, causing batters to make awkward swings. This was particularly evident in his strikeouts of Will Brennan and Josh Naylor of the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS.
In his postseason form, Weaver has transformed into a fastball-changeup relief ace. With these newly refined pitches at his disposal, the Yankees closer has thus far proven unbeatable.
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