NEW YORK — The Yankees and pitching coach Matt Blake have agreed to a three-year extension through 2029, first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Blake, 41, joined the club ahead of the 2020 season after working in Cleveland’s player development system. His previous contract was expiring after this season.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner sharply criticized the offense during his Oct. 21 media availability. He offered a markedly different assessment of the pitching staff, which dealt with injuries to prominent starters and turnover among its relievers.
“I can’t say anything bad about the pitching staff, despite the injuries,” Steinbrenner said. “They were consistent and tremendous all year long, and they were the reason that we made the playoffs.”
Boone similarly described the opportunity the Yankees lost because their pitching offered the foundation for a deeper October run.
“Certainly, the way we pitched this year felt like, from that standpoint, we had the ingredients to win a championship,” Boone said. “And that’s part of the disappointment.”
The Yankees led MLB with a 3.23 ERA in 2026, according to StatMuse, while their bullpen ranked second at 3.13. The annual numbers below use a consistent statistical series.
Seven seasons of pitching results explain Blake’s value
Blake’s seven-year results are stronger than a single standout campaign. From 2020 through 2026, the Yankees compiled a 3.69 ERA, third in MLB behind the Dodgers and Brewers, according to the period’s cumulative records. Their 1.21 WHIP tied Seattle for third, their 9.18 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fifth, and their 3.94 FIP tied for seventh.
Against American League rivals during that span, the Yankees led in strikeout rate (24.4%) and home runs allowed per nine innings (1.13). That combination matters: New York consistently produced missed bats without giving up as many home runs as other AL staffs, even as the names changed.
The annual numbers show meaningful volatility, rather than uninterrupted improvement. The shortened 2020 season must be assessed separately from the six full or near-full seasons that followed.
Yankees team pitching, 2020-26 (regular season)
| Season | ERA | WHIP | K | HR/9 |
| 2020 | 4.35 | 1.24 | 528 | 1.49 |
| 2021 | 3.74 | 1.21 | 1,569 | 1.23 |
| 2022 | 3.30 | 1.12 | 1,459 | 0.97 |
| 2023 | 3.97 | 1.24 | 1,439 | 1.22 |
| 2024 | 3.74 | 1.24 | 1,457 | 1.12 |
| 2025 | 3.91 | 1.25 | 1,440 | 1.09 |
| 2026 | 3.23 | 1.17 | 1,450 | 1.03 |
Source: StatMuse. 2020 comprised 60 games.
In 2022, a 3.30 ERA and 1.12 WHIP demonstrated a staff capable of suppressing baserunners and runs together. The 2023 ERA rose to 3.97 as the starting rotation struggled. In 2025, the club slipped to 3.91 and its WHIP reached 1.25. Those setbacks make the 2026 rebound more significant than a simple claim of steady annual progress.
The rotation and bullpen tell different stories
Separating starters and relievers reveals where the pitching staff was strongest each season. The 2023 bullpen excelled while the rotation faltered. Two years later, the rotation stabilized but the relief group finished near the bottom of the league. In 2026, both units finished among the majors’ top two in ERA.
Rotation and bullpen ERA, 2020-26 (regular season)
| Season | Starters ERA | MLB rank | Bullpen ERA | MLB rank |
| 2020 | 4.24 | 5th | 4.51 | 16th |
| 2021 | 3.91 | 9th | 3.56 | 4th |
| 2022 | 3.51 | 4th | 2.97 | 3rd |
| 2023 | 4.44 | 18th | 3.34 | 1st |
| 2024 | 3.85 | 11th | 3.62 | 6th |
| 2025 | 3.61 | 4th | 4.37 | 23rd |
| 2026 | 3.30 | 1st | 3.13 | 2nd |
Starting rotation and bullpen regular-season results, with MLB ranks shown for comparison.
This is the distinction behind the extension. Blake has worked with established starters such as Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, but the Yankees also turned prospects and overlooked pitchers into meaningful contributors. Cam Schlittler, who went 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA, entered the offseason as a leading AL Cy Young candidate. Will Warren finished 11-6 with a 3.92 ERA.
Nestor Cortes became an All-Star in 2022, while Luis Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Award. The 2026 relief staff benefited from Brent Headrick’s emergence and Paul Blackburn’s transition into an effective multi-inning role. John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer also helped reinforce the bullpen during the season.
These improvements reflect player ability, acquisition decisions and organizational development as well as major league coaching. They nevertheless give the Yankees evidence that Blake can work effectively with very different pitching groups.
A rebuilt bullpen awaits in 2027
The next test may come quickly. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough are among the relievers heading toward free agency. John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer also are on the free-agent list. Fernando Cruz ended the season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, clouding his availability for 2027.
That leaves the Yankees with substantially more certainty about their rotation than their relief corps. Their main starting options remain under club control, but Blake could be asked to integrate another wave of bullpen replacements. The task makes continuity in scouting, preparation and catcher-pitcher communication especially relevant.
Swanson’s framing record gives Yankees a second retention question
But the Yankees’ major league field coordinator and director of catching, Tanner Swanson, is on an expiring deal.
Swanson is more than a receiving instructor. His job encompasses catching development and preparation that intersects with pitchers’ plans for opposing hitters. Losing him would create a different kind of opening in a department that delivered the club’s clearest success in 2026.
Swanson joined the organization before the 2020 season. From then through 2026, Yankees catchers accumulated 86 framing runs, the most in the majors over that period, according to the Statcast figure reported in coverage of the coaching staff.
Framing runs estimate the impact of catchers converting borderline pitches into called strikes. It is not an individual coach’s win total, but it measures one area in which the Yankees have sustained an advantage while reshaping their pitching staff.
Austin Wells is the clearest individual example. His defensive ability drew questions during his development, yet he became an AL Gold Glove finalist in 2026 alongside Detroit’s Dillon Dingler and Toronto’s Brandon Valenzuela. Wells was also among the game’s strongest receiving catchers in the years leading into 2026.
Swanson has also been connected in reporting to possible opportunities outside New York, including interest linked to Seattle. Bench coach Brad Ausmus is another staff member whose contract situation warrants attention.
Whether they can retain Swanson, and how they will rebuild the bullpen that both coaches help prepare, remains part of the club’s work before the 2027 season.
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