The Yankees’ bullpen just hit another gear, transforming into one of the most shutdown units in the sport, and it’s powered them to three wins in their last four games. Yeah, the offense might feel like it’s stuck in first gear still, but the pitching staff, especially the relievers, is absolutely dealing. A massive piece of that bullpen turnaround is Brent Headrick, who just notched his second “Sequence of the Week” nod.
When MLB’s Hottest Rookie Steps Up, Headrick Answers
We’re talking about Monday’s series opener against the Pirates, top of the seventh. Two outs, bases empty, and the Yankees are holding onto an 8-5 lead. No big deal, right? Except who’s stepping to the plate? None other than rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez. This dude has done nothing but rake since getting called up. Seriously, he’s leading MLB with a 242 wRC+ since June 19th and blasted seven homers in eight games leading into that doubleheader. Valdez is the Pirates’ biggest threat, period. Headrick knows Valdez crushes heaters, but does that stop him? Nah. He attacks with a first-pitch four-seamer, practically daring Valdez to beat it. The pitch clips the bottom of the zone for a called strike one, not dropping as much as you’d expect. That’s a huge strike, forcing Valdez to respect anything low, opening up all kinds of opportunities below the zone.
The “Invisiball” That Changed Everything
Headrick follows up that heater with a splitter below the zone, looking for a chase. Valdez, though, shows off an impressive eye, laying off a pitch that started from the same tunnel as the strike, only to drop off the table and bounce in the dirt. Ball one. Valdez isn’t biting easily, so Headrick goes back to the four-seamer. This is where it gets wild. It looks like a cookie, just 94 mph and pretty much down the middle. But time and again, Headrick’s four-seamer just explodes on hitters, making them swing late and underneath. That’s because he gets elite extension and induced vertical break, turning it into an “invisiball” that plays way up above its velocity. Valdez whiffs underneath it. That whiff? All the reinforcement Headrick needed. He and Austin Wells decide to climb the ladder with another four-seamer. Boom. Dotted on the corner, up and away, with elite riding life. Valdez whiffs underneath again, completely unable to adjust his swing path to a fastball that just flies truer than anything he’s used to seeing. What a sequence.
That’s the kind of pitching that keeps a lead locked down. Headrick is at the heart of this Yankees bullpen renaissance, with guys like Paul Blackburn, Angel Chivilli, and David Bednar also rediscovering that shutdown form. These guys are stepping up big time. The Yankees need to keep this bullpen humming to keep banking wins, and Headrick’s “invisiball” is a huge part of that. Keep an eye on him, because he’s not slowing down.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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