Yankees Still Facing an Obvious Ryan Weathers Outcome Despite Sunday's Performance

Ryan Weathers has exceeded expectations, but that might not be enough to avoid a certain fate. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Yankees avoided a fourth consecutive loss with Sunday's 2-0 win over the rival Rays, hopefully marking the start of better things to come. Although he wasn't credited with the win for his effort, Ryan Weathers played a massive role in the Yankees' 31st victory of the season, pitching seven scoreless innings, striking out four batters, and issuing three walks.

Ryan Weathers dotted two strikeouts in a scoreless first inning pic.twitter.com/ysdVyUADDS

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 24, 2026

It's the type of performance that Yankees fans have come to expect from Weathers, who's now 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA across 10 starts. It's also the type of outing that has left fans wondering what it means for the 26-year-old's outlook, as New York's starting rotation is more crowded after Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole's returns, and there'll be even less breathing space once Max Fried returns from the injured list.

While some people might think that Weathers has done enough to force the Yankees' hand, the fact is that—despite his latest effort—the veteran southpaw hasn't done enough to alter his fate.

Ryan Weathers is still likely heading to the Yankees' bullpen when Max Fried returns

There's a chance that the Yankees could consider a six-man rotation when Fried returns, but that might be a long shot—especially if manager Aaron Boone wants to keep a consistent groove before the postseason. As a result, someone will have to exit the rotation once the three-time MLB All-Star ace returns, and it's hard to argue in favor of someone else over Weathers.

After all, the Loretto, TN native is nearing uncharted territory. Weathers is already up to 57 1/3 innings, which is one-third of an inning away from his third-highest total. He's only 19 1/3 innings away from reaching his 2024 total, which came in 16 starts, and 37 1/3 innings from tying the career-high mark he set as a rookie with the Padres in 2021. He's averaging almost six innings per appearance this season, meaning it won't be long before he surpasses those numbers.

As great as Weather is pitching, it wouldn't be surprising to learn if the Yankees have some sort of internal pitch count for him. He's going to tire out eventually, and the last thing Boone & Co. need is to run his arm into the ground. Moving him to the bullpen would preserve him for longer, and it'd be great to have access to his 28.3% strikeout rate in mid-game relief situations.

Ryan Weathers has been solid this season; however, his lack of a full season as a starter makes him the Yankees' top bullpen candidate. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Besides, it's not like any other Yankees starters have given Boone reason to move them to the bullpen.

Cam Schlittler definitely isn't leaving the rotation, as the red-hot AL Cy Young candidate is 6-2 with an MLB-leading 1.50 ERA and pacing the majors in ERA+ (277) and FIP (1.79). Will Warren has also more than earned his spot with a 6-1 record and 3.61 ERA through 10 starts, all while averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings before Monday's Memorial Day clash with the Royals.

It's only been one game, but Cole looked like his old self in his return on Friday, striking out two batters and issuing three walks in six innings. Even Rodón is slowly turning back the clock, striking out 13 batters while allowing three earned runs in his last two games (8 2/3 innings), the same number of ERs allowed across 4 1/3 innings in his 2026 debut.

Of course, there's no chance that Fried will end up in the bullpen when he returns. This season hasn't been his best, but the former National League Cy Young runner-up still pitched to a 3.21 ERA in his first 10 starts.

With a healthy Yankees rotation looking like Fried-Cole-Schlittler-Rodón-Warren, it's clear that Weathers is destined for the bullpen. That's not a bad thing, though, as New York relievers could use an extra hand. The Bronx Bombers could also throw Weathers into longer relief situations or even spot starts for doubleheaders, adding another layer to Boone's game planning.

On any other team, Weathers would likely keep his starting job, but that isn't the case with the Yankees. Their starter depth is too deep to overcome. The silver lining is that Weathers will still have an important role to play and could end up starting again should an opportunity arise, giving him enough reason to stay motivated, even if his inevitable fate isn't what he initially wanted.