The New York Yankees were supposed to cruise to a comfortable win on Tuesday night. Up 10-1 after four innings and still leading 10-4 after five, it felt like a stress-free evening at the ballpark. But by the ninth, with the lead whittled to one run after Ryan Yarbrough alone conceded four runs, closer David Bednar was laboring just to hold on. He did, narrowly, but the scene captured everything that’s gone wrong with a bullpen that was built to dominate and now just feels like a ticking time bomb.
Those late innings didn’t just test the nerves of fans — it embodied the Yankees’ most unsettling truth right now. They aren’t supposed to be clinging to games like this, not with the firepower Brian Cashman assembled. Yet here they are, nights like this becoming more common, and the fear is growing louder: this bullpen might not be built for October after all.
Cashman’s Bet on a Super Bullpen
Cashman’s blueprint was bold. He wanted a super bullpen, something worthy of the Yankees’ postseason ambitions. He traded for Devin Williams before the season even began, betting on his changeup and elite strikeout stuff to anchor the unit. At the deadline, he doubled down, adding Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, and Bednar to create what looked like a late-inning fortress.
On paper, it was imposing. Add in Luke Weaver, Fernando Cruz, Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill, and Mark Leiter Jr., and the Yankees seemed to have one of the deepest relief groups in baseball. It looked like the kind of bullpen that shortens games — where opposing hitters feel the walls closing in by the sixth inning.
But baseball doesn’t play out on paper. And in this case, Cashman’s super bullpen has been anything but.
The Worst Bullpen in Baseball Since August
Since the day after the trade deadline, no bullpen in baseball has been worse. The Yankees own a 5.71 ERA over that stretch, the highest mark in the league, as researcher Katie Sharp noted on X. For a team chasing a championship, that number doesn’t just sting — it alarms.
Relievers are supposed to end rallies and slam doors, not prop them open. But too often, the Yankees’ bullpen has been a revolving door of baserunners and broken outings. It’s hard to reconcile those ugly results with the names on the roster. A group loaded with former All-Stars and power arms has looked rattled, off balance, and in some cases, just worn down.
Pitching in New York has a way of amplifying pressure. The pinstripes are heavy — not in weight, but in what they represent. It’s like wearing a spotlight, and not every arm thrives when millions are watching and expecting dominance.
Inconsistency and Injuries Feeding the Chaos
The talent is there. That’s what makes this collapse so baffling. But talent hasn’t been enough. Williams has battled some wild stretches of inconsistency, Doval’s command has yo-yoed from outing to outing, and Bednar has been the only bright spot. Weaver, Cruz, Leiter, and Hill have flashed promise but remain frustratingly inconsistent.
Injuries have chipped away at the group’s rhythm. Roles have blurred. And without structure, even good bullpens can crack. The Yankees are learning that in real time. When the same arms who were supposed to be the safety net become the source of anxiety, it rattles everyone — from the dugout to the fanbase.
It’s like building a house on granite only to discover the rock is fracturing underneath. What looked unshakable is now creaking with every pitch.
Time Is Running Out
There’s still a sliver of time. The Yankees have a few days to recalibrate, to coax Weaver, Doval, Leiter, and Cruz back into form before the postseason lights come on. They need it desperately because this roster can’t be expected to outslug everyone in every game. It’s not fair.
If the Yankees don’t solve this quickly, the super bullpen Cashman envisioned could end up being the very thing that sends the Yankees home early.