PHILADELPHIA — In the offseason, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone would tell anyone who’d listen about his belief in Brent Headrick. The left-hander pitched only 23 innings last season and spent more time in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre than New York, but there was no doubt in Boone’s mind: Headrick was going to pitch for the Yankees in 2026.
That he has. Only one pitcher has appeared in more games this season than Headrick, who made his 52nd appearance on Friday night. And for the 44th time this year, he did not allow a run, a tally that leads MLB.
Boone’s offseason premonition was right. Headrick has turned out to be a godsend for the Yankees.
“I think he’s on the short list of guys that have been the best in the game that aren’t the full-time closer,” Boone said after the Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Headrick has the third-highest fWAR among all relievers who are not full-time closers. The only non-closers who have been better than him are Atlanta Braves lefty Dylan Lee and San Diego Padres lefty Adrian Morejon, who is an intriguing trade candidate for the Yankees.
On Friday, Headrick entered in the eighth inning in relief of Cam Schlittler with two on and one out. He allowed a single to load the bases for Philadelphia’s top of the order, then induced a lineout from Trea Turner and a Kyle Schwarber groundout to escape the jam.
“You love to be in those situations,” Headrick said. “Any time my name’s called, I’m gonna give everything I have. I think it’s important to go out there with that same mentality every time. Guys on, guys not on, doesn’t matter.”
Cam Schlittler struck out 12, the second-highest total in his 22 career starts. (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
Headrick helped preserve a brilliant outing from Schlittler, who went 7 1/3 innings and struck out 12 batters in 99 pitches. Schlittler is continuing on a path to potentially becoming the American League Cy Young Award winner, as he lowered his ERA to 2.07 after his scoreless start against the Phillies.
“He’s saved me plenty of times this season,” Schlittler said of Headrick. “He’s been amazing. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”
Headrick’s emergence has turned into another major win for the Yankees’ scouting department. The Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins just before spring training last season. Headrick missed most of the 2024 season with injuries before the Twins designated the former starting pitcher for assignment. He quickly emerged as an intriguing pitcher in Yankees camp.
With the Twins, Headrick’s four-seam fastball averaged in the low-90s. He had serious command problems but still posted encouraging strikeout numbers that suggested his potential. Last spring, under the Yankees’ guidance, Headrick’s fastball jumped 2 mph and his walk rate dropped considerably. Those two differences have catapulted him to the top of Boone’s trust tree.
Aaron Boone summons Brent Headrick in the eighth. It was Headrick’s 52nd appearance, which is tied for second in the majors. (Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)
The 28-year-old is on pace to become only the fifth Yankees pitcher to appear in at least 80 games. The last reliever to make that many appearances for the club was Boone Logan in 2012. Because of Headrick’s effectiveness, the Yankees have leaned on him heavily, especially over the past few weeks amid a drought for their offense.
But coming into the year, the Yankees did plan for Headrick to have a higher workload. Over the winter, the club told Headrick his workout plan would be higher intensity and a higher frequency to prepare him for shorter outings.
“We wanted him to do this,” Yankees bullpen coach Preston Claiborne said.
Headrick, David Bednar, Fernando Cruz and Paul Blackburn have been the key reasons the Yankees’ bullpen leads the majors with a 3.04 ERA. And the pen could get even better in the coming days before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, as the Yankees would love to add at least one more high-leverage reliever, according to a source briefed on the club’s plans who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
Coming into the season, many doubted the quality of the Yankees’ bullpen. But Headrick’s emergence as a high-end reliever has lessened the need for Camilo Doval, who was thought to be the No. 2 option at the start of the year. Instead, it’s Headrick.
The Yankees needed someone to rise to the moment, and to a degree even his manager could not have expected, it’s been a relatively obscure waiver claim from last season.
