Mariano Rivera didn’t need long to recognize something familiar in David Bednar.
He saw it Tuesday night on YES, when the Yankees were coasting toward what looked like a routine win over the last-place Rockies. Then Tim Hill surrendered a two-run homer in the ninth, trimming the lead to 5-3 and stirring the crowd into an uneasy murmur. Bednar came in to finish it off, and Rivera watched him strike out Mickey Moniak on three pitches to lock down the victory.
That was enough for Rivera to connect the dots.
“David reminds me of myself,” Rivera said Wednesday during a National Hispanic Heritage Month event at Yankee Stadium. “The thing I love about David is that he goes after hitters, which is what I always tried to do.
He doesn’t mess around. And he has the ability to put things behind him - good or bad - and move forward.”
Bednar was caught off guard by the praise, and clearly honored by it.
“Wow, that’s really great to hear. Coming from someone like Mariano, that’s amazing,” Bednar said after Wednesday’s 6-1 win over Colorado, a game in which he did not appear.
He added, “there’s no one who will ever come close to Mariano,” but the Yankees closer has carved out a huge role of his own. Bednar has 32 saves, the most by a Yankees closer since Aroldis Chapman had 37 in 2019.
That matters for a Yankees team with other issues to sort out before the playoffs, with getting Aaron Judge up to speed at the top of the list. The bullpen isn’t one of them.
Aaron Boone’s trusted late-inning group - Bednar, Brett Headrick and Paul Blackburn - has become a major reason the relief corps has been so dominant. The Yankees bullpen leads the majors with a 3.06 ERA and tops the American League in opponents’ average at .220. It is tied with the Giants for fewest homers allowed at 53 and sits second to the Red Sox in WHIP at 1.17.
That kind of efficiency lets Boone lean into a simple formula: grab the lead after six innings and turn the game over. It’s the same sort of condensed plan Joe Torre used during the Yankees’ run of four championships in five years from 1996-2000.
Boone hasn’t reached that level yet - he still hasn’t won a World Series in nine seasons in the Bronx - but Rivera believes Bednar can help change that in 2026.
Rivera and Bednar have talked several times this season, beginning in spring training and most recently at Old Timers Day. Their conversations have centered more on approach than mechanics.
That makes sense. Rivera built his Hall of Fame career on one devastating cut fastball, while Bednar brings a fuller mix with a four-seam fastball, curveball and splitter. Still, Rivera sees the same underlying mindset.
“There’s so much to learn from Mariano’s career,” Bednar said. “When we’ve connected, it’s me asking about his mindset. I try to pull that from him and tried to apply that this season.”
Bednar said the biggest lesson has been about perspective.
“I’ve really honed in on treating every day as a new opportunity,” Bednar said. “A big part of my game is being mentally tough. I’ve always taken pride in that, but this year I’ve taken it to another level.”
The results back that up. Bednar is 6-0 with 21 saves and a 1.33 ERA over his last 37 appearances. One American League scout pointed to his ability to throw “any pitch in any count” as a big reason for the success.
The scout also highlighted how Bednar works the strike zone.
“The fastball rides up at 97-98 and the splitter has great tumbling action,” the scout wrote in a text. “The curveball breaks 11-5 to the glove side. It’s his swing and miss pitch.”
Bednar has been steady all year, and unlike his predecessor, Devin Williams, he’s been comfortable in the pressure cooker that comes with pitching in New York. Boone has appreciated that no-drama presence, especially after dealing with Williams’ mood swings in 2025.
“It means a lot to have people who are your stars, or core players, just key pieces that are not divas,” Boone said during spring training. “David sets the right example all the time.
“He’s been through a lot in this game, rose to becoming really good, had struggles, got demoted, (then) returned to form. So he’s been through a lot.”
Rivera, for his part, kept coming back to the same point after watching Bednar finish the job against Colorado.
“When I saw David (strike out the final batter) the other night, what I saw was him being aggressive,” Rivera said. “You can have great stuff, but you need it here, too.”
Then Rivera tapped his temple with his index finger.
“David’s got it,” Rivera said. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Quietly Found Their Next Outfield Prospect To Watch
Yostin Pea has put himself on the radar as one of the more interesting outfield names in the Yankees system, thanks to a strong run between the Dominican Summer League and Single-A. The early returns have shown the kind of mix clubs love to see in a young outfielder: power, speed, and a bat that has already produced at a healthy clip.
Baseball Americas Josh Norris recently singled Pea out as a player who could rise to the top of the Yankees prospect conversation next year, with Dax Kilby also in the mix. Peas path is worth watching for another reason, too, since he was once tied to a possible deal with the Cardinals before ending up in pinstripes, a turn that is starting to look increasingly important for New Yorks pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Bring Back Powerful 2001 Memories For Mets Game On 9/11 Anniversary
The Yankees and Mets will share a stage on Thursday night that carries far more weight than a typical subway series matchup. On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Yankee Stadium will host a pregame ceremony honoring first responders and related organizations, while select alumni from the 2001 Yankees are set to take part in an evening designed to connect the present-day club with one of the most emotional periods in New York sports history.
Current Yankees players will also place a wreath at the September 11 monument in Monument Park, a quiet gesture with a powerful reminder behind it. The game arrives with memories still tied to the 2001 World Series, when baseball helped give the city a sense of rhythm in the weeks after the attacks, and to President George W. Bush's ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium, one of the enduring images from that stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Face A Risky Infield Call As Luis Garcia Jr. Keeps Rolling
With Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the injured list, the Yankees are choosing to keep Luis Garcia Jr. right where he has been thriving rather than ask him to shift from first base back to second. It is a small alignment decision on paper, but one that says plenty about how the club views Garcia right now after his productive start since arriving at the trade deadline.
Instead of moving him around the diamond, New York is covering second with Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe, a setup that keeps Garcias bat in the spot the Yankees want most. It also leaves the club balancing short-term defensive flexibility against the risk of disrupting one of its steadier offensive additions at a time when every run still matters. [Read more 🡒]