David Bednar is on Thin Ice as Yankees' Bullpen Desperately Searches for Answers

David Bednar seems to always walk a tightrope act in the ninth inning for the New York Yankees

New York Yankees relief pitcher David Bednar (53) reacts after getting Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (not pictured) to ground out to end the game during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Something happens to closers for the New York Yankees. It doesn't matter how seasoned they are. There is always an untouchable streak until eventually, they hit a wall, and it gets to a point where every outing is a tightrope act.

David Bednar is at a point where Aroldis Chapman, Clay Holmes, and Luke Weaver have all been in recent years. That save against the Blue Jays nearly turned into a second straight ninth-inning collapse.

It is funny to think that, with runners on first and second and two outs, Bednar was able to get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out. Guerrero is a notorious Yankee killer. Meanwhile, the day before, it was Tyrone Taylor, with his 53 wRC+, who took him deep.

Even though Bednar got the save, the night wasn't without its drama for him. Ernie Clement walked in the ninth. Jesús Sánchez immediately hit a double, scoring him, bringing the Jays to within one.

David Bednar was down 3-0 to George Springer and threw him three straight splitters out of the zone and he swung at all of them pic.twitter.com/1d7fQPJkg4

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 19, 2026

This is generally how Bednar's outings have gone this year — even dating back to the World Baseball Classic last March, when he suited up for Team USA. Base runners seem to be endemic to the Bednar experience in 2026.

The next closer

One question the Yankees should be asking themselves is whether he is someone they can rely on in the long term. It worked out last year when neither Weaver nor Devin Williams was able to put it together for long stretches of time in the ninth. This year, he's exactly where both of those guys were in 2025, and come the deadline, the Yankees may once again have to take a shot at finding somebody else to close out the ninth.

Who knows what the closer market will look like come the summer, though. It seemed like the Phillies' Jhoan Durán could have been an option at one point, but the Phillies are beginning to put it together and have clawed their way back to .500. If they keep playing like this, there is no shot that they become sellers at the deadline. With guys like Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper on that roster, they'll be going for it.

Lucas Erceg could be another name. The Kansas City Royals are struggling this year, and their hard-throwing closer, who averages 97 mph, could be available. Erceg does not come without his faults, though.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg (60) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If base runners are an issue for Bednar, Erceg struggles with that more. He has a fourth percentile walk rate and doesn't strike out many batters, despite his velocity. He only has a 44th percentile strikeout rate as well. Something about that profile seems like a recipe for disaster.

Erceg, though, could be one of the few worthwhile closers available, as anybody else with at least double-digit saves in the majors is on a team with a winning record that is hoping to snag a playoff spot. It seems unlikely that guys like Cade Smith, Riley O'Brien, and, of course, the best closer in the sport, Mason Miller, would be available. There's Aroldis Chapman, but there's no need to think about that one.

If the Yankees are going to fix this closer issue, the best way could be to do it internally. Once that rotation fills up, Ryan Weathers could be an option. His poor outings have been few and far between, and his strikeout stuff is prolific. Weathers has a 90th percentile strikeout rate, and he doesn't walk many batters either.

There's also the young starter Carlos Lagrange, a prospect who can hit triple digits has struck out 52 batters in 38.1 innings. Those walks are also an issue for him, however, as he has 21 walks on the season.

The Yankees may feel like they have time to decide this, but it doesn't feel like Bednar is getting any better. They may need to make a decision about him at some point. The problem is that, outside of him, there aren't any lockdown relievers in that bullpen as it's constructed.