Yankees Banking on Michael Fulmer Having Enough Left in Tank to Help Bullpen

The New York Yankees may have whiffed on pitching at the trade deadline, but they may have landed some quality pitching anyway in Fulmer.

The New York Yankees are hoping that former Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Michael Fulmer can give them a boost in the bullpen down the stretch. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michael Fulmer's arc with the New York Yankees has come full circle. In 2016, he won Rookie of the Year, besting Gary Sanchez, whom many believe was more deserving of the honor bestowed upon first-year players.

For anybody who remembers that history, it is funny to see that a career which spanned nine years and saw six different uniforms may very well end in New York. The Yankees signed Fulmer to a major league deal on Wednesday after the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment last Sunday, and he was released two days later.

According to the New York Post's Jared Schwartz, retirement thoughts were there for Fulmer, but feeling like there's something left in the tank, he didn't want to hang up his spikes just yet.

"I told my wife I couldn’t live with myself feeling this healthy and throwing the ball this well, to give up quite yet,” Fulmer told the Post. "Hope it’s an opportunity for something in the long run."

If Fulmer is hoping for a team willing to give him a chance, the Yankees may be a solid fit for him as they're looking to fill out a bullpen that has pitched well, but could use a few new, fresh arms. The initial results for Fulmer were solid, too.

Something left in the tank for Michael Fulmer

After flying in that day, the Yankees told him to head to the Bronx, and within hours, he was on the mound facing the Houston Astros. Fulmer gave the Yankees a clean inning, and if he was hoping for another chance, he probably bought himself one there.

Fulmer had a long battle with the prospective AL MVP, Yordan Alvarez, and got him whiffing on a sweeper at his feet on a 3-2 count. He followed that up by getting Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve to ground out.

Michael Fulmer gets Yordan Alvarez for his first strikeout as a Yankee pic.twitter.com/sUyYE8HRFM

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 27, 2026

This season, Fulmer bounced around the league, going from the Giants to the Angels, and now to New York. He gave the Angels 3.2 scoreless innings before being DFA'd after signing a minor league deal with them on August 12.

Despite the quick leash the Angels had on Fulmer, there is reason to believe that he still has something left in the tank, too. Fulmer has thrown 43 innings in the minors in 2026, pitching to a 2.93 ERA and holding batters to a .204 average.

He struck out 28.9% of batters while walking 11.7%. Fulmer also generated a ton of weak contact in the minors. He had an average exit velocity of 82.3 MPH, a 27.4% hard-hit rate, and opposing batters had a 5.7% barrel rate.

All of that is worth giving Fulmer a chance, especially when you consider the number of innings he's thrown and the Yankees do need a fresh arm pretty desperately. David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn have been carrying the weight of this bullpen all year, and the trio could use a little bit of help as we enter the final stretch of the 2026 season.

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