New York Yankees

Three Yankees Relievers Set to Break Out in 2017

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mar 16, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Branden Pinder (57) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have no shortage of exciting arms in the upper minors, but none have managed to establish themselves as regulars in the big league bullpen.

The New York Yankees “Scranton Shuttle” was largely a failure for the second straight season. Out of the 10 rookie pitchers who made their debut in 2016, only Luis Cessa found consistent success, and that was as a starter.

On the whole, the bullpen was a strength for the team in 2016. No Runs-DMC was dominant in the first half of the season before being dissembled. After the trade deadline, New York received strong performances from newly acquired veterans Tyler Clippard, Adam Warren, and Tommy Layne.

Notably absent from the list of successes is any homegrown relief pitchers. The Yankees system has produced a large quantity of MLB ready arms recently, but we have yet to see much quality. New York used 20 non-DMC relievers this season, and more than half of them had ERAs over 5.00.

The only real success story was Luis Severino, and that was bittersweet because he would be so much more valuable as a starter. 29-year-old rookie Richard Bleier was the next closest, with a 1.96 ERA, but is almost certain to get the axe before December because of the team’s roster crunch.

Still, hope springs eternal. Several of the team’s young arms showed enough potential down the stretch to inspire hope for greater things in 2017. These three “Scranton Shuttle” relievers stand out as the guys most likely to break out as late-inning weapons next year.

Aug 31, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Ben Heller (61) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the twelfth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Heller

The third piece in last summer’s Andrew Miller trade was the first to have an impact in the Bronx, making 10 appearances for the Yankees down the stretch. His overall numbers look pretty ugly thanks to a few big home runs allowed (three in seven innings. Yikes.), but Heller showed off some impressive stuff during his first stint in the big leagues.

Heller’s most obvious strength is that he throws gas. He sits 96-97 consistently with his heater but has been clocked at 100 mph. He can absolutely blow the ball by hitters when he needs to. The pitch also has some movement, running in on the hands of righty batters. Heller also throws a slider that is nothing special, but a quality MLB offering that will keep hitters from sitting on the fastball.

The 25-year-old broke out with a dominant performance in the upper-minors in 2016 after a subpar performance the previous year. He began the season with Double-A Akron, allowing just one run in 16.1 IP while striking out 23 before a promotion to Triple-A.

His success continued in the International League, putting up a 2.27 ERA while striking out 27.5% of the batters he faced in 31.2 IP split between Columbus and Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

While Heller’s control was an issue during his brief big league stint, if he can harness his overwhelming stuff in the big leagues next year, he is probably the best bet of all the Scranton Shuttle relievers to emerge as a late-inning complement to closer Dellin Betances.

Sep 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Chad Green (57) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Chad Green

If Green finds himself the odd-man out of the Yankees rotation next spring, there’s a strong possibility he could end up breaking camp as a reliever, which may be the role he’s best suited for long-term anyway.

Like Heller, Green’s best asset is his mid-to-upper 90’s four seamer. MLB Pipeline notes that he was working in the 90-94 range prior to coming over to the Yankees, and now “he’s sitting at 93-95 mph and touching 97.”

None of his secondary offerings are anything special, which limit his ceiling as a starter. In the pen, that would be less of an issue for him. It’s also worth seeing whether Green’s heater might be improved even further in short relief.

The 25-year-old righty had a 5.94 ERA in eight big league starts last year, but held opponents scoreless during his 9.1 innings out of the bullpen. Green did show promise as a starter in Triple-A last year, pitching to a 1.52 ERA and 0.940 WHIP while striking out 9.5 batters per nine in 16 starts for Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

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However, you could make the argument that the team has no shortage of fifth starter types lining up for rotation jobs, so if Green is a potential stud as a short reliever, the team may want to look at him in that role.

Sep 21, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Jonathan Holder (65) and catcher Gary Sanchez (24) congratulate each other after beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 11-5. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Holder

The decision to call up Jonathan Holder a year before he was Rule 5 eligible was a controversial one, because it likely means the Yankees won’t have room for another promising player on the 40-man roster this winter when it comes time to make decisions about who to protect.

Still, the Yankees were very much in the Wild Card race when rosters expanded on September 1st, and what Jonathan Holder was doing in the minors was simply too hard to ignore. The 23-year-old righty compiled a 1.65 ERA in 65.1 IP across three levels in 2016, finishing the year by allowing just two earned runs in 20.1 IP while striking out 35(!) for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

Holder probably cemented his first big league promotion with one of the most impressive pitching performances at any level this year. With the Railriders trying to clinch a playoff spot, Holder entered in the sixth inning with two on, no out, and a 3-1 lead. He proceeded to strike out 11 straight batters, and 12 of the 13 he faced to secure the victory. If that won’t get you a September call up, I’m not sure what will.

Like Heller, Holder didn’t quite live up to expectations during his first taste of big league action. He allowed five earned runs in his 8.1 innings of work, striking out five while issuing four free passes.

Holder’s stuff is not overwhelming, which has led to some analysts to wonder whether he can carry over his MiLB success to the majors. He throws a low-90’s fastball that tops out at 95 and pairs it with a big, slow curveball.

His best asset is his pinpoint control, but it’s not often you see an elite reliever in MLB without eye-popping stuff. Holder may be the exception.

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