Yankees Reliever Impressing Early in Spring Training

The New York Yankees figure to have several bullpen spots up for grabs this spring, and one southpaw is already positioning himself nicely to crack the club's Opening Day roster.

Left-hander Brent Headrick, who impressed over a small sample size with the Yankees during the 2025 season, is turning up the heat at the team's spring training facility in Tampa, Fla.

"Brent Headrick, the lefty reliever whom Yankees personnel were high on entering camp, threw an inning of live batting practice and got up to 96 mph," the New York Post's Greg Joyce wrote.

That development is notable due to the fact that Headrick averaged 94.0 mph on his four-seam fastball in the majors last year, per Baseball Savant.

The fact that he was two ticks above that mark in live BP doesn't necessarily suggest that he's going to sit in that range for the entire season. Regardless, it's a promising sign that the forearm injury which landed him on the injured list towards the end of last year isn't having any lingering effects.

Headrick also made a statement in that same live BP session, as seen in a video from the Bergen Record's Pete Caldera, by striking out George Lombard Jr., whom Baseball America currently ranks as the top prospect in the Yankees' system and the No. 46 overall farmhand in the league.

Brent Headrick vs. Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. in live BP… pic.twitter.com/OdaX0XRm9b
— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) February 17, 2026

Headrick's 2025 Campaign

Headrick arrived in New York after they claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins last February.

He made the team's Opening Day roster, and though he did not give up any runs over his first four appearances of the season, he was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 6.

The 28-year-old was later recalled on May 22 and proceeded to turn in consecutive scoreless outings before the Los Angeles Dodgers plated three runs against him on May 31. He was then sent back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a little under two weeks later on June 12.

Jun 11, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick (47) pitches during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Headrick sustained an injury upon returning to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he worked his way back up to the majors in late July and completed six appearances for the Yankees. He'd go on to suffer a forearm injury, as previously mentioned, which kept him out of big-league action for the remainder of the year.

He ultimately closed out the season with a 3.13 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 23 innings for New York.

How Headrick Could Fit with Yankees

Headrick's underlying numbers in 2025 painted the picture of a reliever who has the potential to develop into a late-game option for the Yankees. He ended last year with a 40.6 percent chase rate, which would've placed among the top marks in the league had he thrown enough innings to qualify, per Baseball Savant, and his whiff rate of 34.1 percent was elite as well.

Though he has a minor league option remaining, which helps New York out in terms of roster flexibility, a strong case can be made that Headrick should simply break camp with the club.

The Yankees could also use another left-hander next to Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough, the latter of whom should serve as a swingman/long reliever much like he did for the team last season, and Headrick would fit in perfectly.

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