At the trade deadline in July, the New York Yankees made three significant acquisitions to enhance their roster for a potential playoff run. While Jazz Chisholm has thrived, particularly with his offensive contributions and defensive play at third base, the results of their bullpen acquisitions have been less favorable.
Enyel De Los Santos, one of the bullpen additions, struggled significantly and has since been released, underscoring the difficulties the Yankees faced in bolstering their relief pitching this season.
The other bullpen addition, Mark Leiter Jr., has had an inconsistent performance but is beginning to show some signs of improvement. Before his trade from the Chicago Cubs, Leiter posted a 4.21 ERA over 36.1 innings, with metrics suggesting he had untapped potential. However, his time with the Yankees has been underwhelming.
In 19 innings with the Yankees, Leiter has recorded a 5.68 ERA, allowing 2.84 runs per nine innings—figures that aren’t conducive to reliability in relief. Despite these challenges, he has maintained an impressive strikeout rate of 12.79 strikeouts per nine innings, indicating his ability to miss bats.
Yet, Leiter’s decline can be attributed to a significant drop in his ground ball percentage since joining the Yankees, leading to more hard contact against him. His sinker, in particular, has been problematic, allowing a .394 batting average and a .620 slugging percentage.
Conversely, his split-finger fastball and curveball have performed exceptionally well. Recognizing this, the Yankees have begun to adjust his pitch usage to minimize the sinker’s impact.
In September, Leiter’s sinker usage plummeted to just 13.7%, down from 31.9% in August. Instead, he has been encouraged to throw his split-finger fastball and curveball more frequently, which have both proven effective.
In a recent outing against the Oakland Athletics, Leiter threw 27 pitches, with only four being sinkers. He effectively utilized his split-finger fastball and curveball, resulting in three strikeouts in two innings of near-dominance.
At 33 years old, Leiter remains under Yankees control until free agency in 2027, providing ample time for the team to refine his performance. While he may not be a high-velocity pitcher, his ability to generate movement on his pitches makes him an asset if utilized correctly.
By focusing on his more effective pitches and reducing his sinker usage, the Yankees may be on the path to unlocking Leiter’s full potential. As the postseason approaches, the team will need him to continue this upward trend to solidify their bullpen for a deep playoff run.