Unlikely Hero Emerging in Yankees Bullpen

A veteran journeyman has emerged as a key reliever for the New York Yankees.

Apr 30, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (56) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are synonymous with strong bullpens, and the 2025 campaign has sustained that notion thus far.

Most of the attention is currently focused on Luke Weaver, and for good reason, as the starter-turned-closer has been virtually unhittable with a 0.76 ERA in 22 appearances and 23 2/3 innings. Fernando Cruz was lights-out before being placed on the injured list, and Devin Williams has slowly but surely regained his All-Star form as a set-up man, but Mark Leiter Jr. deserves just as much praise for the season he's currently having.

The veteran right-hander, who made his major league debut in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies, posted a 4.21 ERA through 39 appearances with the Chicago Cubs last year before he was traded to the Yankees at the deadline for a pair of prospects in right-handed pitcher Jack Neely and infielder Ben Cowles.

Leiter never settled into a groove down the stretch, finishing with a 4.98 ERA and substandard 1.708 WHIP in 21 regular season outings for New York. He redeemed himself in the playoffs, however, logging a 1.69 ERA with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

After a strong spring in which he didn't give up a run over four appearances, Leiter made the Yankees' Opening Day roster and hasn't looked back since.

He ran into a ton of trouble in his third appearance of the year against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 1, allowing three earned runs in just a third of an inning, while also ceding two runs to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 3, but he's otherwise been excellent.

Leiter is in the midst of an 8 1/3-inning scoreless streak entering play on May 26, during which he's allowed just six hits and a single walk while punching out 11 batters.

His ERA and FIP for the year sit at 2.45 and 1.72, respectively, and he leads all Yankees relievers with a 0.8 fWAR. Leiter's excelled at inducing ground balls, doing so at a 54.0 percent rate, and his average exit velocity against (85.7 mph), whiff rate (35.0%), strikeout rate (36.0%) and hard-hit rate (30.0%) all place in the 94th percentile or higher, per Baseball Savant.

The cousin of current Rangers starter Jack, son of 11-year veteran Mark and nephew of two-time All-Star Al, the latter two of whom pitched for the Yankees, Leiter is carrying on the family tradition with a career year in the Bronx.

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