Ryan Weathers Small Change Garners Big Results for Yankees

Ryan Weathers labored two starts ago against his former team before the Yankees' offense bailed him out against the Marlins. It wasn't that he was smacked around, as a ball never left the park against him, but he couldn't find the strike zone. He struggled to put batters away and walked three through three and two thirds innings.

Things were a little different this time around for Weathers, and the Yankees finally saw the side of the 26-year-old that they hoped for when they traded for him.

Weathers pitched eight innings of one-run ball, tossing a clean 101 pitches. He struck out seven, generated 12 swings-and-misses, and didn't allow a walk. And the excitement went deeper than just those results.

Change in Pitch Usage Spurs Weathers' Bounce-Back

One reason for his success could be a change in his pitch selection. Against the Marlins, 43% of the pitches he threw were his fastball. He threw his sinker 22% of the time.

That changed against the Athletics. His sinker usage jumped to 30%, and his fastball usage dropped all the way to 18%.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone and pitcher Ryan Weather — Apr 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) makes a pitching change taking out pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

This is a big change from how Weathers operates on the mound in general. His two main pitches were his changeup and fastball last year. He only threw the sinker a total of 20 times.

Weathers had only pitched into the 8th inning one other time in his career. That was back in 2024.

Help From Dad

It wasn't just the sinker that brought him great success. After the game, Weathers credited his father and former Yankee, David Weathers.

"He harps on me for strike throwing," Weathers said of his dad, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. "In the last couple of outings, I haven't used my brain. I've been raised in the game with him. I've been at this level long enough to know you have to pitch with your brain out there."

Back-to-back strikeouts from Ryan Weathers leaves a runner stranded in scoring position pic.twitter.com/EZ3zaLFa1L
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 9, 2026

Unfortunately for Weathers, the Yankees didn't pick him up with any offense. An ironic set of circumstances, considering that when he could not get anybody out, they roared back eventually. Against the Athletics, they went out with more of a whimper, losing 1-0 and only being able to muster up one hit.

It's hard to say that Weathers was outdueled by Jeffrey Springs. He was only slightly better as Springs didn't allow a run in seven innings.

It stinks for such a great outing to have been spoiled, but if this is the Weathers the Yankees get every five days, he'll end up being not just one of the more dependable arms in the rotation but also in the sport. His stuff is just that electric.

"My mechanics were a little more fluid," Weathers said of his afternoon. "I was working on being more fluid on the mound. It really helps when my mind is relaxed, and I trust myself," Weathers said. "You can do it all day in the bullpen, playing catch, but until you do it in a game — now I know what that feeling is like of just being calm on the mound. Hopefully, I can keep throwing strikes."

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