Spring training is supposed to be a time for fine-tuning, shaking off rust, and getting ready for the grind of a long season. But for the New York Yankees, Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies turned into something else entirely—a complete disaster in the ninth inning that wiped out what should have been an easy win.
The Yankees entered the final frame up 7-0. The game should have been in the bag. Instead, the Phillies pulled off an improbable rally, torching Eric Reyzelman and Leonardo Pestana for eight runs and stealing an 8-7 victory.
Eric Reyzelman’s Ugly Collapse
Before this meltdown, Reyzelman had been one of the more promising bullpen arms in camp, showing off electric stuff and punching out hitters with ease. But on Saturday, he couldn’t buy an out.
He managed to retire just one batter while allowing five runs on four hits and a walk. It was one of those innings where everything that could go wrong did. Baseball can be cruel like that.
His ERA in the Grapefruit League now sits at a bloated 14.29. Spring training stats don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but this was not the kind of outing that builds confidence.
Aaron Judge Wakes Up
Before Saturday, Aaron Judge had been surprisingly quiet this spring, with just three hits in 11 games since the start of March. But everyone knows Judge takes his time to heat up, and against the Phillies, he finally showed signs of life.
Facing Jesus Luzardo, the Yankees’ captain launched a two-run homer that had the sound and look of vintage Judge. He later tacked on another RBI with a sacrifice fly, driving in three runs on the day.
Even with this performance, his spring OPS sits at a lowly .554. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Judge will eventually get going.
Mark Leiter Jr. Shows Excellent Stuff
With injuries piling up in the bullpen, the Yankees need all the reinforcements they can get. Enter Mark Leiter Jr., who might be pitching his way into a meaningful role.
Leiter was locked in against the Phillies, striking out all three batters he faced in a dominant inning. His velocity looked good, his stuff was sharp, and he’s shaking off a recent back issue at just the right time.
Mark Leiter Jr. threw his two hardest sinkers ever recorded (94.3, 94.4 MPH) and this is after he threw the three hardest sinkers of his career in his previous outing.
Velo’s up. Stuff looks better.
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If he keeps this up, the Yankees might have found a much-needed weapon for their relief corps.
