Latest news with #BrendanKuty
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Yankees' lost ace is quietly transforming the rotation behind the scenes
When New York Yankees' ace Gerrit Cole walked off the mound and into surgery, it felt like a dagger straight through fans' hearts. He wasn't just the ace of the staff—he was the heartbeat, the unshakable anchor in stormy waters. Losing him to Tommy John surgery wasn't just about lost innings; it was about losing leadership, dominance, and hope. Advertisement But sometimes, when a door closes on the field, another opens behind the scenes. And Cole, ever the student and scientist of pitching, wasn't about to waste a second. Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images From strikeouts to strategy: Cole's new role in pinstripes While Cole rehabs, he's not fading into the background. Instead, he's transformed into an on-call professor of pitching, quietly mentoring the next generation from the shadows. His latest student? A 25-year-old fireballer named Will Warren, a rising arm with raw stuff and a thirst for knowledge. And Cole has become a vital part of his transformation. Think of it like a master craftsman showing a young apprentice how to wield a tool—not with brute force, but precision. Learning the art, not just the mechanics Warren recently opened up to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic about his regular chats with Cole. They're not just surface-level tips. Advertisement We're talking about deep discussions on execution, pitch sequencing, and mental sharpness. One standout lesson? Even a ball off the plate can be a weapon—if it moves a hitter's eyes, changes their timing, or disrupts their plan. It's the kind of wisdom that turns throwers into pitchers. And that's exactly what Warren is becoming. Warren's evolution: From thrower to trusted arm Warren's ERA is now a solid 4.05, but the numbers only tell half the story. Over his last three starts, he's surrendered just three earned runs across 18 innings. In that span, he's struck out 26 hitters and shown the kind of poise usually reserved for veterans. The secret sauce? A growing awareness of how to pitch with purpose—something Cole is drilling into him, one conversation at a time. Advertisement This isn't just about results. It's about mindset, nuance, and maturity. And Cole is right there, helping Warren turn the corner. Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images Cole's fingerprints are all over the Yankees' future While he can't toe the rubber this season, Cole's influence is tangible. His presence in the clubhouse and bullpen sessions is like a lifeline. Veterans still seek his input. Youngsters hang on his every word. And through it all, Cole is building something more enduring than stats: a legacy. For Warren, Cole's mentorship has been a game-changer. The Cy Young winner's knowledge is shaping the Yankees' present and future, pitch by pitch, brain to brain. Advertisement Gerrit Cole may be sidelined until the 2026 All-Star break, but his impact hasn't missed a beat. From flame-throwing apprentice to thoughtful young ace, Will Warren is living proof. Popular reading: Yankees' deadline acquisition has become an unexpected bullpen stud
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees face critical decisions as trade deadline approaches
A quarter of the way through the season, the New York Yankees are facing familiar roster questions—just don't expect starting pitching to be at the top of the list. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic recently broke down the Yankees' most pressing needs in The Windup daily newsletter. While he highlighted the obvious infield hole and bullpen concerns, he didn't mention the rotation. And honestly, that says a lot. Despite missing ace Gerrit Cole for the season and still waiting on Luis Gil to return from a lat injury, the Yankees' starters have quietly held their own. Entering the week, they've posted a 3.73 ERA—ninth in the American League and 10th in Major League Baseball. That's solid considering Marcus Stroman's 11.57 ERA before a knee injury landed him on the IL. With Will Warren and Ryan Yarbrough stepping up and Jonathan Loáisiga and Clayton Beeter nearing returns, pitching hasn't fallen off a cliff like some feared. New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is introduced on Opening Day 2025.© Brad Penner-Imagn Images The real issue? The infield. Advertisement And Kuty didn't mince words. 'They need an infielder. That was probably true before Oswaldo Cabrera fractured his ankle, but it's especially the case now,' he said. Cabrera's injury has only magnified a roster hole that's been quietly growing. the insider floated two paths forward: go get a third baseman or shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to third and fill second base instead. The Yankees are already cycling through options. They are testing out one-time top prospect Oswald Peraza, giving a look to Jorbit Vivas, and hoping DJ LeMahieu has something left in the tank. It's the kind of patchwork approach that won't hold up for long if this team expects to stay atop the AL East. The insider summed up the bullpen simply: 'Bullpen help wouldn't hurt either.' Even with Loáisiga and Beeter getting close, Brian Cashman is likely working the phones. The question now is just how aggressive the Yankees will get—and how soon. Related: A Veteran's Injury Setback Could Save Yankees $18 Million Related: DJ LeMahieu Responds to His Uncertain Role After Yankees' Manager's Revelation
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Devin Williams helps Yankees enter their beard era. Plus, 2 NL East aces return
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Full disclosure, I've been putting players with beards on the Yankees in 'MLB: The Show' for years now. Plus: Ken on Anthony Rizzo's desire to keep playing, two aces I'm excited to see in 2025 and just when you thought baseball's TV landscape was settled … it is not. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup! Yes, this is silly. Yes, it is also our lead story today, precisely because the whole thing is just so ridiculous. Nearly 50 years after then-owner George Steinbrenner laid down the law — no long hair, no facial hair on the Yankees — the team announced Friday it will now allow 'well-groomed' beards. As for the reasoning, you might think the answer is 'because it was kind of ridiculous in the first place,' but no — there's a more practical reason: Owner Hal Steinbrenner mentioned the change is about roster construction, saying he doesn't want the Yankees to miss out on any players for whom their beard is a big part of their identity. Advertisement Who, you might ask, would care that much? Their new closer, for one. Devin Williams was so annoyed by having to shave his beard that he requested a meeting with team ownership. Asked if the policy would be a factor when he hit free agency, he said, 'It's something that I would consider, for sure.' How big a deal is this? Brendan Kuty even has a story about how it will impact the team barber. Tyler Kepner has another writeup here about the end of a tradition, and the ones that will remain in place — but there's one more that is going away: Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' won't play after losses (it will still be played after wins). More Yankees: In actual baseball news, manager Aaron Boone — perhaps helped by the support of Aaron Judge — has signed an extension through 2027. And Kuty has the story from the early workouts, where Yankees players are still angry about losing the World Series last year. From my latest story with Brendan Kuty: Anthony Rizzo is only 35. But with spring training games underway, he continues to linger on the free-agent market. Rizzo wants to play. He's healthy enough to play. Yet he knows the end of his career might be near. 'I've definitely thought about it. I think I have a lot to give to the game still,' the three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at first base said Friday. 'But at the same time, if teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I've seen it the last 10 years of my career. It's what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You've seen it happen more and more. I'm not naive to it. It could be it.' Rizzo, a 14-year veteran, became a free agent when the Yankees declined his $17 million option, giving him a $6 million buyout that increased his career earnings to $127.6 million. The Yankees replaced him by awarding a one-year, $12.5 million free-agent contract to an even older first baseman, 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt. Advertisement Rizzo, after two injury-marred seasons, understands why his market is less than robust. But he said he would not sign a deal that damages the future earning potential of players behind him. 'I'm surprised, but not like crazy surprised just because I'm a realist in the game and you're getting older,' Rizzo said. 'The fact that teams want you to play for basically league minimum ($760,000), I'm like, you guys are crazy. You're almost trying to ruin the market for the next guy.' Rizzo's injuries the past two seasons resulted from incidents largely out of his control. He suffered a concussion stemming from a collision at first base, a fractured right forearm resulting from another collision while running out a ball and two broken knuckles in his right hand after he was hit by a pitch. The last of those injuries occurred on Sept. 28. Rizzo missed the Division Series but returned from the ALCS. He said he received multiple numbing injections in multiple areas of his hand before and during postseason games. But the hand returned to full strength after the season ended, and Rizzo went through his normal offseason training regimen. More here. This happens to me twice a year: Christmas and spring training. The calendar will sneak up on me, and I'm just not feeling the seasonal spirit until — BAM — something cracks through my exterior, and I'm ready to get festive. This year's spring training breakthrough came when I saw headlines about two NL East pitchers I missed watching in 2024: Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins and Spencer Strider of the Braves. More returning pitchers: Matt Gelb has the inside story on Andrew Painter's two years away from action with the Phillies. And don't forget the Dodgers, who are bringing back Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May to their stacked rotation. Just when we got one TV rights conversation behind us with the FanDuel (née Bally) Sports contracts all sorted for local broadcasts … well, here comes another bit of upheaval. 2025 will be the last year we see MLB on ESPN for the foreseeable future. Both sides have agreed to opt out of the rest of a deal that would have run through 2028. Advertisement So why did the split happen? From the story: 'Manfred wrote (in a memo) the league has 'not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN's platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.'' Further down in the story, Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand report ESPN actually opted out first, prompting MLB to follow suit. The package was going to pay the league $550 million per year over the next three years. ESPN felt it was too high, and MLB said, in so many words, 'You don't talk about us enough anyway.' Ever the diplomats, the parties both seemed to indicate that they might get back together later. As Marchand reports here, it's messy. Again. So much for that new ownership plan in Minnesota. Justin Ishbia will now be purchasing more shares in the White Sox instead, leaving the Twins back at square one. ABS updates: Cody Poteet of the Cubs made the first successful challenge, while Reds manager Terry Francona has told his players not to use it since it won't be in play during the regular season. Aaron Gleeman writes on how the system will impact the value of catchers. Katie Woo has the inside story on the Cardinals' attempts to trade Nolan Arenado this offseason. The level of detail in the reporting is incredible. Justin Verlander (newly a Giant) is 42 years old, but he's not just trying to hang around. He wants to be excellent for a few more years. Cody Stavenhagen has stories on three Tigers starters: Tarik Skubal bought his catcher a Rolex, Jackson Jobe's new curveball and Kenta Maeda's prove-it season. Keith Law has a list of 25 potentially high-impact rookies. If we told you Brent Rooker was the centerpiece of the A's rebuild, would you believe it? Or are we getting the rug pulled out from under us again in a few years? Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Jayson Stark's comprehensive explainer on the robo-umps. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
