The Resilience of the Yankees’ Pitching Staff
The New York Yankees are eagerly awaiting the return of several key pitchers from injury, but even so, they maintain the second-best ERA in baseball at 2.86, second only to the Cleveland Guardians.
Despite limited investment in their bullpen, pitching coach Matt Blake has proven that effective strategy can outperform high-profile salaries. Their latest success story is Michael Tonkin, a 34-year-old right-handed reliever who has faced significant challenges in recent seasons.
Tonkin began his 2024 season with the New York Mets, briefly played two innings with the Minnesota Twins, and then joined the Yankees, where he has pitched 17.2 innings with an impressive 1.02 ERA.
Last season, Tonkin had a 4.28 ERA over 80 innings with Atlanta, but Blake has adjusted his pitch sequence, creating a more efficient version of the veteran, who has 253 major league innings in his career. Tonkin started in MLB in 2013 with the Twins, then spent five seasons away from the majors before returning last season.
Since joining the Yankees, Tonkin has improved by using his sinker more, experiencing a reduction in spin rate which has increased his accuracy. His June stats show a slider with a .091 average and a sinker with a .200 average against hitters.
Players like Tonkin are vital for the Yankees, as high salaries in other areas limit their ability to invest heavily in relief pitching. Having a cost-effective bullpen that ranks second in ERA is remarkable and deserves more recognition.
On Friday night against the Dodgers, the Yankees relied on Tonkin to prevent Shohei Ohtani from changing the game’s outcome, and he delivered. Tonkin pitched 1.2 innings, struck out two batters, and allowed just one hit, solidifying the team’s confidence in his high-leverage capabilities.