Mark Leiter Jr., acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline, has struggled with home run issues since his arrival in the Bronx. In 16 appearances with the Yankees, the reliever has surrendered five home runs, a sharp contrast to the two he allowed over 39 games with the Cubs earlier this season.
Despite the challenges, Leiter remains optimistic, focusing on the time left before the postseason to make necessary adjustments. He views the remaining games as a crucial window for refining his approach and improving his performance.
“My swing-and-miss is there,” he acknowledged before the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Royals. “Sinker’s been hit, and it’s something I’m thinking about. The good thing is we still have some time.”
Leiter identified his sinker as a key issue, with four of the five home runs he’s allowed as a Yankee coming off that pitch. Opponents are hitting .652 against his sinker, with recent examples including homers from Tommy Pham of the Royals and Jacob Young of the Nationals.
Aware of the sinker’s vulnerability, Leiter is actively exploring adjustments. He noted that his splitter, widely regarded as one of the best pitchers in the league, has been harder to utilize effectively due to early-count struggles. He emphasized that finding a balance in his pitch mix will be critical as he looks to tighten up his game down the stretch.
Yankees breather for Leiter despite giving homers
His strikeout ability, one of the main reasons the Yankees targeted Mark Leiter Jr., has continued to shine. In his first six weeks with New York, he recorded 22 strikeouts over 15 ⅔ innings, providing a much-needed boost to a Yankees bullpen that has struggled to generate swings and misses for much of the year.
While Leiter’s ERA has ballooned to 5.74 since the trade, he remains confident in his overall skill set and pitch quality. He pointed out that his swing-and-miss rate has stayed strong, underscoring the effectiveness of his movement and velocity.
Mark Leiter Jr., 33, has seen his role evolve since joining the Yankees, largely influenced by the team’s current bullpen dynamics, which feature strong left-handed options.
Leiter, a right-hander, has historically been more effective against left-handed hitters, effectively serving as a left-handed specialist during his tenure with the Cubs. Before the trade, Leiter faced 98 left-handed batters compared to just 54 right-handers this season.
However, with the Yankees’ bullpen bolstered by left-handers Tim Hill and Tim Mayza, along with righty Tommy Kahnle, who excels against left-handed hitters, Leiter’s usage has become more balanced. Since his arrival in New York, he has faced 33 left-handed and 46 right-handed batters. Right-handed hitters have capitalized on this, posting a .391 on-base percentage and a .610 slugging percentage, including three home runs against him.
The Yankees and Leiter are optimistic that his inconsistencies—highlighted by moments of brilliance punctuated by critical mistakes—can be corrected in the lead-up to the postseason.
Manager Aaron Boone noted that while there are promising elements in Leiter’s performances, his struggles against power hitters have been evident. Boone identified several areas that need improvement, including command issues with his fastball, getting behind in counts, and inconsistency with his secondary pitches.
“Still trying to get to know him,” the Yankees skipper said about the reliever. “There’s been a lot of good within every outing. There’s been some outings where he’s been real strong. There’s been some outings where he’s gotten hurt with slug. Whether it’s the fastball, whether it’s getting behind, not landing some of his secondary pitches and he gets backed into a corner. Gotta keep grinding with him and get him in positions to be successful.”
Boone stressed the importance of continuing to work with the reliever and placing him in favorable matchups that play to his strengths. This approach reflects the Yankees’ commitment to refining Leiter’s role and maximizing his potential in their bullpen as they gear up for a playoff push.
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