Ryan Yarbrough’s grip on a Yankees roster spot is slipping fast.
What looked like a fairly simple bullpen squeeze back in late spring has shifted. When Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole were set to return to the rotation, the logic then was that one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren would be pushed to the bullpen and that Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn were essentially fighting for the same job as long relievers. At that point, either name could have been the one on the outside.
Now the picture has changed. The Yankees are nearing full strength again, and with Rodón on the mend, the rotation is finally expected to be whole.
If Weathers or Warren moves to the bullpen, Blackburn no longer looks like the odd man out. Yarbrough does.
Blackburn has not only salvaged his season, he has also grown into a useful setup arm for David Bednar. Yarbrough has gone the other way.
Since June 2, Yarbrough has given up 17 runs in 24.1 innings. Ten of those runs were earned, but the bigger problem has been his inability to strand inherited runners. If he cannot clean up that part of the job, and Weathers is taking those innings in higher-leverage spots, Yarbrough’s role becomes even harder to justify.
That’s why September call-ups could matter here. Elmer Rodriguez is one name to watch, and so is a veteran option like Rafael Montero. Rodriguez could give the Yankees innings while also getting another big league look, and lower-leverage work might be useful for his development against better competition.
Montero, meanwhile, has had a rough time in Triple-A, but the strikeout stuff is still there. He carries a 27% strikeout rate and a 10.7% walk rate, while opponents have posted a 39.2% hard-hit rate and a 2.7% barrel rate against him. Even with the struggles, that strikeout ability gives him a higher ceiling than Yarbrough.
What makes Yarbrough’s slide so strange is that the underlying numbers still look strong in a lot of places. He owns a 100th percentile 82.9 MPH average exit velocity and a 100th percentile 22.5% hard-hit rate.
He’s also been excellent at keeping the ball off the barrel, with a 3.6% barrel rate that ranks in the 95th percentile. His expected ERA sits at 3.42, and his expected batting average is .226.
So yes, there’s a case that Yarbrough has run into bad luck. There’s also a case that the Yankees could choose to demote him instead of cutting him outright, then keep him around for mop-up work in blowouts. But the numbers that matter most in the bullpen hierarchy don’t point to important innings, and that’s the issue.
If the Yankees keep him at all, anything within three runs probably shouldn’t be his territory. The soft-tossing lefty simply hasn’t earned that kind of trust, and at this point he shouldn’t be handed a chance to prove it.
In Other News...
Michael Kay Calls Out Yankees Fans As Old-Timers Day Debate Grows
Old-Timers Day has long been one of the Yankees most recognizable traditions, a summer showcase that blends nostalgia with a reminder of how deep the franchises history really runs. But the annual gathering has been facing a different kind of backdrop lately, as attendance for the alumni game has slipped even while ticket sales remain strong. The gap has sparked a broader conversation about what fans want from the event and whether the old charm is enough to keep pulling a full house.
Michael Kay added his voice to that debate this week, saying he was disappointed by the thinner turnout and pointing to the changing cast of former Yankees as part of the issue. The event does not carry quite the same weight without the legendary figures who once defined it, and the continued absence of Derek Jeter from recent editions only adds another layer to the concern. For a fan base that still treats tradition seriously, the question is whether Old-Timers Day can stay special without the names that once made it feel unmissable. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Volpes Path Back To The Yankees Just Got More Complicated
Anthony Volpes route back to the Yankees has gotten a lot less straightforward after the club sent him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and elevated top prospect George Lombard Jr. to handle shortstop. In the middle of a tight pennant race, the Yankees are reworking their infield picture rather than waiting around, and Volpe now has to make his case from a different level while the organization rethinks where he fits.
One wrinkle is that the Yankees are also looking at his versatility, with Volpe beginning to play second base in Triple-A as part of that evaluation. His bat still remains the biggest part of the equation if he is going to force his way back into the major league roster conversation, but the path he once seemed to have at shortstop is no longer clear with the team shuffling pieces around him. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Bullpen Search Could Lead To A Risky Late Waiver Add
The Yankees left the trade deadline without adding a reliever, a notable choice for a club that has leaned on its bullpen even while the groups ERA has been strong. Now, with the market thinned out and the season moving into the stretch run, the search for depth could shift to the waiver wire, where teams sometimes find a useful arm if they are willing to take on some risk.
One name drawing attention is a right-hander who has had a rough run this season but still carries traits that teams tend to chase late in the year. His recent numbers have been shaky, yet the pitch data suggests there is still some bat-missing ability in there, which is the sort of profile that can tempt a contender looking for a low-cost fix. For the Yankees, the question is whether that upside is enough to justify a claim when the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]