This New York Yankees pitcher is already looking great in Spring Training.
When the New York Yankees acquired Ryan Weathers in a trade with the Miami Marlins last month, some wondered exactly what the Yankees were doing.
Weathers is talented, no doubt, but he made just 24 starts over the last two seasons due to injuries, and New York didn't really need another depth option in its starting rotation. It needed another frontline starter.
But perhaps Weathers will end up being more of the latter for the Yankees?
The left-hander was throwing live batting practice on Sunday, and he was already hitting 98.5 mph with his fastball.
Weathers averaged 96.9 mph on his fastball in eight starts last year, which ranked second among all lefties. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal came in at No. 1.
That is some pretty fine company for Weathers.
But the fact that the 26-year-old is already hitting nearly 99 mph in February is incredibly impressive.
When healthy, Weathers pitched well for the Marlins, logging a 4.11 ERA while allowing 128 hits and registering 131 strikeouts over 138 innings of work. That was over the course of two-and-a-half seasons.
The Loretto, Tn. native was originally selected by the San Diego Padres with the seventh overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft and was a top prospect early in his career, but he never quite materialized with the Padres.
Weathers made 43 appearances and 29 starts in San Diego, posting a 5.73 ERA, 5.53 FIP and 1.490 WHIP. His biggest problem with the Friars was his command, which he largely got under control in Miami.
Ryan Weathers. Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images.New York paid a fairly steep price to acquire Weathers, sending four prospects to the Marlins in exchange for him. That included highly-regarded outfielder Dillon Lewis.
Clearly, the Yankees saw something they really liked in the southpaw, and while it's only Spring Training, Weathers is already showing why New York took a gamble on him.
We'll have to see if Weathers is able to stay healthy in the Bronx. If he does and produces, it will be interesting to see what the Yanks decide to do with him once Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon both return this year.
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