In an early-evening move reported by Jack Curry of the YES Network, the Yankees struck a deal with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, acquiring left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers.
The cost? A package of four minor league prospects—Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, Dylan Jasso, and Juan Matheus—none of whom are considered top-tier chips. On the surface, it looks like a depth move, but when you peel back the layers of Weathers’ 2025 campaign, it becomes clear that the Yankees see a project with elite raw ingredients that pitching coach Matt Blake is dying to get his hands on.
However, the cost is a lot for an arm who projets a lot like a reliever long term due to injury. Fortunately, he’s only a free agent in 2029, so the Yankees have plenty of control.
Weathers, just 26 years old, is coming off a season where he posted a 3.99 ERA over 38.1 innings. While the surface numbers are respectable, the underlying metrics are what likely triggered the Yankees’ algorithm. He struck out 8.69 batters per nine innings and boasted a 74.6% left-on-base rate, but the real story is the heat.
Weathers ranked in the 86th percentile for fastball velocity, averaging a blistering 96.8 mph from the left side. Finding a southpaw who sits in the upper 90s is rare, and getting him for lottery ticket prospects is the kind of low-risk, high-reward gamble Cashman loves.
The “Matt Blake Special”: Unleashing the Sweeper
The scouting report on Weathers is a classic “stuff over results” case study. His four-seam fastball is fast, but it gets hit; opposing batters teed off for a .260 average against the heater last season. However, his secondary stuff is where the magic happens. Weathers features a sweeper that held opponents to a minuscule .174 batting average, yet he only threw it as his third option.
You can almost hear Matt Blake in the film room right now, plotting to flip that usage script. If the Yankees can optimize his arsenal—leveraging that dominant sweeper more frequently while tweaking the fastball shape—Weathers could transform from a thrower into a pitcher.
The algorithm hides the best New York Yankees news; make sure you pin Empire Sports Media on Google News so you don’t miss a beat.
Despite his velocity, Weathers has a unique, deceptive profile. He ranks in just the 9th percentile for extension, meaning the ball doesn’t “jump” on hitters as much as you’d expect, but he compensates with a 43.5% ground ball rate. He keeps the ball on the ground and limits free passes, posting an above-average walk rate that suggests he knows where the ball is going. That combination of velocity, control, and ground balls is a solid foundation for a reliever in Yankee Stadium’s homer-friendly environment.
A Swingman Weapon for the Bronx
One of the most intriguing aspects of this acquisition is Weathers’ versatility. He tossed a career-high 94.2 innings back in 2021 as a rookie with the Padres and made 8 starts for the Marlins in 2025. He isn’t just a one-inning guy; he is capable of eating innings in long relief or starting, which has been his traditional role when he’s not hurt.
The Yankees have had success converting failed starters into bullpen monsters, and Weathers fits that mold perfectly. He has the velocity of a closer and the stamina of a starter; now he just needs the pinstripes to unlock the rest.