Ryan Weathers has not been the Yankees’ best starting pitcher this season, but he’s arguably been the biggest surprise. It’s now time for manager Aaron Boone and his staff to take steps to make sure Weathers can contribute to the AL East powerhouse all season long.
The big issue with Weathers during his tenure with the Marlins was never talent. It was all about availability. The 26-year-old left hander just could not stay healthy in Miami. That’s a big reason why they were willing to trade him to the Yankees for a relatively modest group of prospects back in the offseason.
New York’s bet on Weathers’ arm talent has paid off handsomely this season. He’s posted a 3.14 ERA in 10 starts and has struck out 65 hitters in 57.1 innings of work. The workload Weathers has absorbed through the first third of the season should be setting off alarm bells for higher-ups in the Bronx.
The Yankees need to send Ryan Weathers to the bullpen
Weathers has never managed to throw more than 114.2 innings in a given season. He’s on pace to blow past that mark around the All Star Break. That might help the Yankees maximize their regular season win total, but that’s not the franchise’s goal. Boone and his staff need to make sure they’re doing everything possible to maximize this roster’s chances of winning big in the playoffs.
That’s why moving Weathers to the bullpen sooner, rather than later, is the right path forward for the Yankees. Admittedly, that would put more pressure on the team’s current crop of starters to continue their hot start to the 2026 season. It might also necessitate bringing Elmer Rodriguez back to the Bronx and living with any struggles he might have as the team’s fifth starter.
The flipside to that downgrade to the rotation would be a very likely boost to the bullpen’s credentials. The team’s relief corps has been a massive issue for Boone on the young season. Adding a dynamic southpaw with swing-and-miss stuff could do wonders to help New York hold leads as the regular season rolls along.
The obvious benefit for Weathers would be to slow down his workload to the point where he would stand a better chance to stay healthy for the full season and playoffs. He can reasonably be expected to exceed his previous career high of innings pitched, but doing so by 50+ innings is just asking for injury trouble.
Will the Yankees move Ryan Weathers out of the rotation?
The answer to this question is almost certainly yes. Absent another massive injury to a starter, the Yankees are the sort of forward-thinking franchise that will move to protect a talented, young arm like Weathers. The only real question is when Boone will pull the trigger on what some fans will view as a conservative decision. Weathers’ place in the starting rotation is winding down at a rapid rate.
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