Yankees' scouting department strikes again with pitcher who ‘doesn't even make sense'

New York Times

19-04-2025

TAMPA, Fla. — It was at George M. Steinbrenner Field over a month ago that New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe first saw a pitch that still 'doesn't even make sense' to this day. It was also a transaction in late December that may not have made much sense to Yankees fans who saw the raw numbers.
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The Yankees traded backup catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for Fernando Cruz, 35, and catcher Alex Jackson. With the Yankees, Trevino developed into a Platinum Glove Award winner, but his role would be diminished in 2025 as Austin Wells emerged. The Yankees also had a plethora of MLB-ready catchers in their system, which allowed general manager Brian Cashman to take a chance on a reliever with a 4.86 ERA across 69 appearances last season.
What the Yankees saw beyond the poor ERA was a pitcher who could miss bats, a skill that was missing in their bullpen for many months during the 2024 season. Cruz's 14.72 K/9 ratio was the majors' highest among pitchers with at least 50 innings, and his 37.8 percent strikeout rate ranked third. Three weeks into the 2025 season, Cruz's 18 strikeouts lead all American League relievers.
His 37.8 percent strikeout rate in 2024 has jumped to 42.1 percent this year. Only Kirby Yates and Yuki Matsui have a higher strikeout rate than Cruz. His whiff percentage has increased from 38.2 percent with the Reds to 50 percent with the Yankees. The biggest reason why Cruz has had success with the Yankees is that he's suppressed hard contact. That was where Cruz struggled the most with the Reds. This year's version of Cruz has seen the reliever allow zero barrels and a meager 31.6 hard-hit rate.
Cruz helped the Yankees hold a 1-0 lead against the Tampa Rays in the eighth inning by striking out Taylor Walls and Junior Caminero, while also getting leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz to hit a weak popup. The secret to Cruz's success is his split-finger fastball, a pitch that, when executed properly, is among the most unhittable in the sport. Yankees' starting pitcher Carlos Rodón called it a 'glitch pitch.'
Fernando Cruz, Disappearing 82mph Splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/ZfS10VcglD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 19, 2025
'I've never seen that many bad swings on that,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Cruz's splitter. 'Going back to spring training, I think we're up to about 25 (bad swings) where it looks like they've never hit before sometimes when he executes.'
What the Yankees saw in Cruz's splitter was a pitch that was so dominant that his arsenal needed to be tweaked so he could throw it even more often than he already was in 2024. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake has increased Cruz's splitter usage from 41.9 percent last season to 54.7 percent. They've eliminated his cutter, a pitch he threw 25.6 percent of the time. His fastball usage has been sliced in half to make way for a sinker. But Cruz's specialty is his splitter, a pitch that can only be explained by supernatural forces.
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'That's my gift from God,' Cruz said. 'It's just having the gift that he gave me to play this game. I am really grateful and really intentional in maximizing its potential. That's what I'm doing. I'm doing the right things to keep that pitch alive and executing it.'
Cruz was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as a shortstop in 2007 but did not make his major-league debut until 2022. The Royals turned him into a pitcher in 2011, and he finished rookie ball with a 7.32 ERA before the club released him. Cruz then traversed the international winter league circuit for six years. He also found himself pitching for the New Jersey Jackals, an independent team, for one game. Cruz never gave up on his dream to pitch in the big leagues. He made his MLB debut as a 32-year-old converted shortstop and is now making opposing hitters look silly.
'From behind, it's just the swings that make it look nasty,' Volpe said. 'I faced him in spring, and it's like it doesn't even make sense. You feel like you're right on it, and you watch the video and you swung and it's like halfway there. From my perspective in the box, I am glad he's on our team and we don't have to face him.'
Cruz did not inspire much confidence from Yankees fans in spring training, after posting a 9.95 ERA. But the reliever paid zero attention to the results he was posting because he knew behind the scenes all of the changes that were taking place. The Yankees were revamping his arsenal, tweaking where he stood on the mound and experimenting with his mechanics. Cruz says he's now in a place where he's entirely confident in all of his pitches.
The best part of Cruz's early-season success is that he's doing this for a team he envisioned suiting up for when he was a kid in Puerto Rico. The long journey from independent ball has led him to pitching for the Yankees as one of MLB's best relievers in the early season.
'I am helping my dream team win games in key situations,' Cruz said. 'It's just a dream come true. It's a dream for me. I am really grateful and content and really happy for what's happening with me.'
(Photo of Fernando Cruz: Dave Nelson / Imagn Images)