The Yankees Have a Tim Hill Problem That They Can't Ignore Anymore

With the New York Yankees trailing the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in the eighth inning on Saturday, they needed to keep their deficit at one run.

Given the state of the offense, a multi-run deficit would effectively be insurmountable for the Yankees. Therefore, manager Aaron Boone turned to left-hander Tim Hill to pitch a clean eighth, as Hill had been one of New York's most dependable relievers since being acquired in 2024.

However, the 36-year-old lefty submariner could only get two outs and allowed a pair of runs, putting the game out of reach. Hill loaded the bases with no outs, allowing two singles and a hit-by-pitch before Charles McAdoo's RBI single and Nathan Lukes' RBI groundout made it 4-1 for Toronto.

Yerry De los Santos finished the inning, but the damage was done and more than enough as the Yankees went down in order in the ninth. The loss sealed another series defeat to an AL East rival.

Have yourself a day, Charles McAdoo! 👏

He extends the Jays' lead to 3-1 😤 pic.twitter.com/9qRYDqSmUK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 15, 2026

After this latest poor outing, the Yankees can no longer ignore the issue: Tim Hill is a liability in the bullpen.

Tim Hill's rough 2026 season

It's a real shame that Hill can't be counted on anymore, as he was a fantastic high-leverage lefty specialist and fireman in 2024 and 2025. The Yankees signed Hill as a free agent in June 2024, and he rewarded them with a 2.05 ERA over 35 appearances for the rest of the regular season, while allowing just two runs in 10 postseason appearances.

After being brought back on a one-year, $2.85 million contract during the ensuing offseason with a $3 million club option for 2026, Hill enjoyed another strong year with the Yankees. The lefty appeared in 70 games and logged a 3.09 ERA, prompting the Bronx Bombers to exercise the $3 million option.

TIM HILL SOMEHOW GETS OUT OF THE TENTH! pic.twitter.com/x2EwR34eI9
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) July 30, 2026

Unfortunately, Hill's effectiveness has rapidly diminished this year. After being roughed up by the Blue Jays on Saturday, the 36-year-old's ERA ballooned to 4.63 in 55 games; his FIP has also risen considerably to 5.78 compared to 4.30 in 2025.

August has not been kind to Hill so far, as he's allowed five runs and two home runs over just six innings this month. Overall, Hill has a brutal -0.8 fWAR in 2026.

Perhaps the biggest factor in Hill's decline is his chase rate. Last season, opposing batters swung at 34.5% of the pitches Hill threw outside of the strike zone, which ranked in the 96th percentile on Baseball Savant. However, that rate has fallen to 28.6% this year, which ranks in the 30th percentile.

Even though Hill is more proficient at pitching to contact than accruing strikeouts, getting batters to chase is extremely important to his game plan. With more hitters taking his offerings outside the zone, Hill is forced to throw strikes, and his offerings are being scalded (43.7% hard-hit rate).

Matt Olson provides some insurance with his 33rd homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/uQsX70Jspu
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026

The worst part is that the Yankees can't do much to replace the ineffective Hill. New York failed to acquire a single bullpen arm prior to the August 3 trade deadline.

As a result of the deadline inactivity and Hill's continued struggles, New York is relying even more on fellow lefty Brent Headrick, who's made a whopping 63 appearances this season. If Headrick loses effectiveness down the stretch, the Yankees would have themselves to blame for not bringing in another arm.

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