If you’ve been wondering why the Throgs Neck Bridge has looked more like a bullpen shuttle lately, it’s because the New York Yankees’ relievers keep heading south - not to Florida, but to Flushing. The Mets have added another former Yankee arm to their stable, bringing in Luke Weaver to join Devin Williams in Queens. And while it might be easy to chalk this up to the usual “little brother” digs from Yankees fans, there’s a deeper, more intriguing subplot unfolding here - one that could have real implications for both franchises.
The Mets aren’t just stockpiling former Yankees. They’re potentially exposing a crack in the Yankees’ coaching foundation.
Williams and Weaver: From Bronx Struggles to Queens Opportunity
Let’s start with Devin Williams. Yes, he had a rocky 2025, and yes, his stuff didn’t quite look like the Airbender magic we saw during his Brewers prime. But when he signed with the Mets, he hinted at something interesting - that mechanical tweaks and pitch selection changes under the Yankees’ watch may have thrown him off his rhythm.
Dig into the numbers, and that theory starts to hold water. From 2021 to 2023, Williams’ fastball usage never topped 39%.
But in 2025 with the Yankees? That number jumped to 47.4%.
That came at the expense of his signature changeup - the Airbender - which dropped from 57.9% usage in 2023 to 52.4% last season.
Now, in theory, more fastballs should make the changeup more deceptive. But Williams isn’t your average pitcher.
His changeup is the main event, not the setup act. The increased fastball usage didn’t help him; it hurt him.
Hitters laid off the off-speed stuff more easily, and the whiff rate on the Airbender dipped to 37.3% - still good, but the lowest it’s been since 2019 and a noticeable drop from the 43%+ clip he’d consistently posted.
Then there’s Luke Weaver, who was having a quietly dominant start to the season before things unraveled. Through May 31, he’d made 24 appearances, logged 25.2 innings, and posted a minuscule 1.05 ERA.
Then came a stint on the injured list starting June 2, with an expected recovery timeline of four to six weeks. He came back in less than three.
From June 20 onward, Weaver's performance took a nosedive: 40 appearances, 39 innings, and a 5.31 ERA. That kind of drop-off raises questions.
Did he come back too soon? Was he compensating physically, tipping pitches, or simply overthinking on the mound?
Weaver himself pointed to adjustments aimed at fixing pitch tipping as a factor that made him “think too much” - a dangerous place for any reliever to be.
The Mets’ Pitching Lab: A Quiet Powerhouse
This isn’t the first time the Mets have taken in a struggling Yankee and turned things around. Luis Severino looked like a shell of himself in his final season in the Bronx, but the Mets’ pitching development team helped him find his form again.
Clay Holmes, another former Yankee, had a brutal final stretch in pinstripes - so much so that he lost the closer role to Weaver in the 2024 postseason. Now, Holmes has reemerged as a solid starter in Queens.
That track record matters. The Mets’ pitching lab has quietly become one of the most effective in the league at identifying what makes a pitcher tick - and, more importantly, what’s throwing them off.
If they can get Williams and Weaver back to their peak form, it won’t just be a win for the Mets. It’ll be a glaring indictment of the Yankees’ coaching decisions, particularly when it comes to how they manage elite bullpen arms.
A Bigger Picture Brewing in New York
This isn’t just about two relievers changing boroughs. It’s about a growing pattern.
The Mets are turning around pitchers who looked lost in the Bronx. And if that continues, it raises a serious question: Is the Yankees’ coaching staff getting in the way of their own talent?
For now, the Mets are betting that Williams and Weaver still have plenty left in the tank - and that the right adjustments, not just in mechanics but in mindset, can unlock it. If they’re right, the results won’t just show up in box scores. They’ll echo across the city, from Flushing to the Bronx.
Because in baseball, sometimes the biggest wins don’t come from blockbuster trades or nine-figure contracts. Sometimes, they come from simply knowing how to get the best out of the arms you already have. And right now, the Mets seem to have that formula figured out.