Yankees are Completely at Fault for Sudden Fernando Cruz Problem

The New York Yankees fell to the Houston Astros by a score of 9-7 on Tuesday night, and one of the decisive blows came in the form of a game-tying two-run homer off the bat of Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena in the sixth inning.

The victim? Fernando Cruz, who has now surrendered home runs in four of his last 10 outings and has seen his ERA balloon to 3.13 on the season.

In the month of August, Cruz owns a 6.75 ERA, and opposing hitters are teeing off on Cruz to the tune of a 1.033 OPS.

So what exactly is wrong with the fiery right-hander who had been the Yankees' best reliever earlier in the season?

Well, could it be that Cruz is merely getting fatigued?

The 36-year-old has downplayed his struggles, stating that he is healthy and that fatigue has not been a factor. Given that Cruz is one of the fiercest competitors you will ever see, the fact that he refused to make excuses is not surprising.

But let's face the facts here: we aren't even into September yet, and Cruz has already appeared in 61 games with 54.2 innings pitched. Last year, he appeared in 49 contests and totaled 48 frames for the entirety of the campaign.

Yes, Cruz tallied over 60 innings in back-to-back seasons with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and 2024. But he is well on pace for a career high in workload this year, and it is certainly reflected in his numbers.

This is what the Yankees get for inexplicably refusing to acquire bullpen help at the MLB trade deadline.

We've been over this a million times before, and it's still hard to comprehend. New York's pen has been great lately, but on Tuesday night, both Cruz and Brent Headrick — two of the club's most reliable arms — imploded.

It was only a matter of time before this happened, and if we're being honest, Headrick had been showing cracks in recent outing, as well.

Blame Aaron Boone all you want for "mismanaging" the bullpen, but this isn't on Boone. This is on Brian Cashman for failing to address the Yankees' most obvious area of need.

Cruz's walk rate (5.3 BB/9) is the highest of his career. His K/BB ratio (2.09) is his lowest. And guess what? His strikeout rate, while still good at 11.0 K/9, is also a career worst and is well below his lifetime average of 13.2.

The Puerto Rican native didn't just suddenly forget how to pitch. It's becoming increasingly obvious that he is burnt out, and New York's only solution is waiting on Clarke Schmidt to finally return.

And even then, Cruz's arm might already be compromised for the rest of the way.