The New York Yankees‘ pitching staff is getting some much-needed reinforcements.
With closer Luke Weaver on his way back from a hamstring injury, the Yankees also appear poised to activate J.T. Brubaker, who has not pitched since they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates last March.
In 63 career games, and 61 MLB starts, Brubaker is 9-28 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.
The Yankees are 42-29 but have lost four straight and lead the Tampa Bay Rays by 2.5 games atop the American League East.
Who Is J.T. Brubaker?
You’ll be forgiven if you didn’t remember the Yankees’ March 29, 2024 deal where they acquired the right-hander for a player to be named later — which became Keiner Delgado. Brubaker was rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery, which he had in April 2023, when New York acquired him.
The 31-year-old has not pitched in the majors since Oct. 4, 2022 with the Pirates. He just completed a rehab assignment while recuperating from fractured ribs sustained on a comebacker in a spring-training game in February.
Brubaker is your traditional sinker-slider starter, who relies on missing bats — since he has 324 big-league strikeouts in just 315 2/3 innings. His career 2.97 strikeout-to-walk rate would rank third among Yankees starting pitchers, behind undisputed Nos. 1 and 2 Max Fried (4.50) and Carlos Rodon (3.34).
But Brubaker has struggled at giving up hard contact when he is not striking hitters out, since his career batting average against is .263. He is surrendering 9.4 hits-per-nine innings and a career .781 OPS against.
His career batting average on balls put in play is .315, which signifies both hard contact and a bit of bad luck.
Where Does J.T. Brubaker Fit With The Yankees?
Even though his career numbers look ghastly, Brubaker could still be a valuable arm coming to the Bronx, especially with the No. 5 starting spot in flux.
Brubaker has been a starter his entire career, and he could be especially valuable since 26-year-old, second-year starter Will Warren is struggling. Warren has a 4.86 ERA and 1.36 WHIP and also is on pace to post a career-high for professional innings pitched, which is 129 set in 2022 and 2023.
With fellow starter Marcus Stroman also completing rehab assignment, and No. 5 starter/long man Ryan Yarbrough already exceeding expectations — while throwing 50 innings — Brubaker could end up being a right-handed complementary arm to him either in long relief or as a right-handed spot starter.
Brubaker could put some heat on Stroman to perform too, since each is in the final year of his contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this off-season.
Stroman, who balked at going to the bullpen both last year and before this season, is 10-10 with a 4.72 ERA in 33 appearances for the Yankees over the past two seasons. He is 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA and minus-0.6 WAR in three starts this year before going on the IL on April 12.
Plus, the Yankees have had enormous success with reclamation projects throughout Matt Blake’s tenure as pitching coach. The fact strikeouts are Brubaker’s primary method of getting outs could put him in a good position to contribute to the Yanks’ bullpen — moreso than Stroman, whose game is inducing soft contact.
Over a 162-game season, the more healthy arms a team has the better, which is why Yankees fans should be enthusiastic about a lottery ticket like Brubaker getting set to join their pitching staff.
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