Brent Headrick was dominant once again in his most recent Yankees appearance, striking out the side in a perfect eighth inning in New York's 10-5 victory over the Mariners on Wednesday night.
The lefty reliever dropped his season ERA to 1.47 with his latest scoreless outing, a familiar sight for the 28-year-old who has burst onto the scene as one of the most effective relievers in all of baseball. Wednesday was Headrick's 52nd appearance this season in which he did not surrender a run, which, according to Stathead's Katie Sharp, is the most in baseball. Only 10 times this season has Headrick appeared in a game and not kept the opponent scoreless, a dramatic turnaround for a pitcher who posted a 6.31 ERA in his first big-league season with the Twins before the Yanks grabbed him off waivers prior to the 2025 season.
Headrick also held the Mariners scoreless in Tuesday's tight victory, which gave him the most scoreless appearances by a Yankee pitcher through 119 team games in franchise history, per Sharp. Already one of pitching coach Matt Blake's greatest projects, Headrick has turned from a former castoff into a reliable high-leverage arm who currently ranks top five in baseball in ERA and FIP. He, along with David Bednar, have formed a formidable combo for the eighth and ninth innings, shoring up a bullpen that many expected to be the team's weakness heading into the season.
Headrick has shut opposing teams down through this point in the season unlike any other reliever in Yankee history, which is no easy task given the fact that Mariano Rivera, Aroldis Chapman, Goose Gossage, Dellin Betances, and other star relievers have donned the pinstripes. It has been a remarkable turnaround for Headrick, and he will no doubt be counted on to get some of the biggest outs of the season as October nears.
The lefty reliever has ascended to one of the most reliable relievers in baseball.
The lefty reliever has ascended to one of the most reliable relievers in baseball.
