The New York Yankees' bullpen will have a major X-factor in the playoffs, and no one is talking about it.
The New York Yankees' bullpen has been a hot topic of discussion all season long, and while it has looked considerably better this month, there is no question that it still needs some work.
David Bednar has been terrific for the last five weeks, and Fernando Cruz has been great all year. Brent Headrick has been solid, but the underlying metrics with him are a bit concerning.
Then, you have an unenviable cast of characters that has mostly been subpar in 2026, ranging from Camilo Doval to Jake Bird to the once-reliable Tim Hill.
The Yankees absolutely need to add a couple of relievers between now and the MLB trade deadline, and it would be shocking if they didn't.
However, when it comes to how New York's bullpen will look come playoff time, most people are missing one big X-factor: the Yankees will have a couple of their starting pitchers in relief roles by that time.
You typically don't go with a five-man rotation in the playoffs. Heck, depending on the series, sometimes, you don't even roll with four starters.
New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers. Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images.We already know that Ryan Weathers — who was terrific against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night — will be headed to the pen when Max Fried returns. That will give New York a starting rotation of Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Fried, Carlos Rodon and Will Warren, which would probably be baseball's best.
Then, once October rolls around, we will likely see Warren — who owns a 3.45 ERA and 3.36 FIP this season — be moved to the bullpen, as well.
That's two key pitchers who will be available as relievers in the postseason, and that will be a game-changer for the Yankees.
That would mean no more Bird in high-leverage situations, and depending on what New York does at the deadline, possibly no more Doval, as well.
There might even be a scenario in which Rodon moves to the bullpen in a shorter series, which would suddenly give the Yanks an absolutely loaded pen.
Now, obviously, the Yankees need to get there first, but barring a catastrophic collapse over the last several months of the regular season, you can probably pencil in New York for the playoffs.
It's a nice luxury for the Yankees to have in their back pocket. Yes, there have been some concerns with both Weathers and Warren lately, but you can bet Aaron Boone would be more than happy to have them as late-inning options in the postseason.
Don't get me wrong: this should absolutely not stop Brian Cashman from aggressively seeking relief help before Aug. 3. It's just something to keep in mind going forward.
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