Yankees’ Ryan Weathers Faces First Major Test with Minimalist Pitching Approach

A New Approach for Ryan Weathers

Ryan Weathers, the newly acquired left-hander for the Yankees, is taking a different approach to his pitching. Instead of throwing more, he’s focusing on throwing less. This strategy is aimed at keeping him healthy throughout the regular season.

On Monday night, Weathers will make his debut with the Yankees in a game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. The team has been working closely with him to adjust his throwing program, aiming to reduce the workload between starts. This means fewer throws and from shorter distances.

Adjusting the Throwing Program

Weathers, who is 26 years old and the son of former reliever David Weathers, has always shown talent but often struggled with injuries. The Yankees, who acquired him from the Marlins in January, have made changes to both his arsenal and his throwing program.

Pitching coach Matt Blake mentioned during spring training that they are trying to find ways to modulate the throwing program. “Finding ways to take a breather every now and again — it doesn’t mean detrain yourself, but it also means give yourself a chance to recover and then keep building,” he said.

Focus on Recovery and Efficiency

Weathers still occasionally long tosses on days when he does his between-starts bullpen session, but this is mainly for warming up before a start. Now, he typically does not throw farther than 90 feet while monitoring the amount he throws while playing catch.

For example, on Saturday at Oracle Park, Weathers made 41 throws on flat ground before tossing a 25-pitch bullpen session for a total of 66 throws. Previously, he would rack up anywhere from 80-100 throws on a bullpen day.

Weathers has been open to these changes since arriving at the Yankees, even if it took some getting used to. “It was weird at first, because I love to throw,” he said. “But now it’s kind of like second nature.”

Improved Performance and Confidence

Weathers has noted that he is currently throwing harder than ever. He pointed to reaching 101 mph in the third inning of his final spring outing against the Cubs. “That’s uncharted waters for me,” he added, and he hit 98.5 mph on his 76th pitch out of 80.

“I’m really encouraged with where my arm health’s at,” he said. “Being this early, I’m really encouraged with where my arm health’s at.”

Results and Pressure

While staying healthy is crucial, the most important thing now is delivering results. Weathers had strong outings in the spring, allowing one run across a combined 8 ²/₃ innings. However, in three starts in between, he gave up 16 earned runs across 8 ²/₃ innings on 22 hits, three walks, and two hit batters.

Weathers and the Yankees attributed the rough numbers to poor batted-ball luck, supported by a .434 batting average on balls in play. They believe the underlying numbers were much more encouraging and that the stuff was still crisp.

Now that the games and results actually count, the pressure is on Weathers to deliver like he is capable. “I’m excited,” said Weathers, whose dad is expected to be in attendance Monday. “It’s been fun being a Yankee in the spring, I can’t imagine during the year.”

“I won’t stop saying it, there’s a sense of pride when you put this logo on and you want to do well for the team and the organization. So I can’t wait for my number to be called and go out there and throw.”