Stark Contrast: Yankees' Pros fail, prodigies shine

Feb 13, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) throws a pitch during live batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Joe Torre would talk a lot, and probably still does, about how a good bullpen shortens the game.

Now, he had Mariano Rivera, and the Sandman spent the better part of 20 years turning Yankee games into eight-inning affairs. When paired with a setup man like David Robertson, or a fireman like Dellin Betances, those clubs could carve out another inning or so. Sure, there was the odd blowup here and there but that consistently high floor was predictable year after year.

In the Baby Bomber era, the Yankees haven’t had a Mariano Rivera — then again, who has? — but for how sweaty and tumultuous Aroldis Chapman was by the end of it all, he had a 3. 05 ERA and struck out 37 percent of batters he faced from 2017-22.

Chad Green and Zack Britton helped to shorten up games too, and that high floor of the bullpen stayed pretty reliable, a hallmark of Brian Cashman’s approach to rosterbuilding: have just enough starting pitching to get through five or six innings with the score close, your hitters will grind down the opposition and your relievers will put up zeros, and you’ll win more than you’ll lose. Last year, and headed into 2026 though, that floor doesn’t seem to be there in the same way. David Bednar is, for my money, as good a closer as you’ll get in the game today.