Relief pitcher David Bednar has come a long way in a calendar year, and he hasn’t forgotten that.
The New York Yankees closer expressed gratitude for where is ahead of the Yankees’ home opener against the Miami Marlins on Friday.
The Yankees, of course, acquired Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates for prospects Edgleen Perez Brian Sanchez and Rafael Flores on July 31, 2025. He has an MLB-best three saves in 2026 after going 4-0 with 10 saves in 22 post-trade appearances for the Yankees last year.
David Bednar Went to Triple-A Early in 2025
Bednar is having a phenomenal 2026 so far.
He was selected for the United States at the World Baseball Classic and pitched well in his set-up role for Garrett Whitlock and Mason Miller. So far, he’s locked down three of the Yankees’ wins in their 5-1 start.
But it wasn’t so long ago that Bednar was in a far different place. On the heels of a catastrophic 2024 season, where he went 3-8 with a 5.77 ERA and seven blown saves, Bednar started the 2025 season by allowing three runs in one inning over his first three appearances with Pittsburgh, which landed him with Triple-A Indianapolis.
“I’ve been fortunate to have some highs, but I’ve also been absolutely humbled and kicked in the teeth,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “To be able to come out of that, it’s crazy to think it’s almost a full calendar year. It’s quite a whirlwind. I felt every emotion: I was upset, bummed, you name it.”
By that point, Bednar had been in the majors three full seasons, and was a two-time NL All-Star as Pirates closer while locking down 39 saves in 2023. But because of his attitude, Bednar was only in the minors for less than three weeks, making five appearances and allowing just one hit.
“When I got there, it was like, ‘I can’t control what happened. I have to make this the best thing for me,'” Bednar said. “So every day when I was down there, even if I wasn’t pitching, I was thinking, ‘What can I do to get better?’ I got that extra perspective and confidence of what makes me able to have success.”
David Bednar Makes the Ninth Inning Interesting
Despite his success, Bednar has found a way to make his appearances compelling this year.
In the WBC, he allowed six hits in just four innings and became renowned for his tightrope act, particularly against Canada in the tournament quarterfinals.
In a 5-3 game, Bednar allowed two hits, allowing Canada to put the tying run in scoring position with no outs. But Bednar retired Josh Naylor, Tyler O’Neill and Owen Caissie, striking out O’Neill and Caissie, to keep the U.S. ahead.
Thus far for the Yankees, Bednar has a 1.80 WHIP and only two strikeouts, and opposing hitters have a .308 batting average with a .785 OPS. But he has allowed just one earned run and is in line for a major payday, since Bednar will be a free agent at season’s end.
“At the end of the day, it’s about finding a way,” Bednar said. “Everybody wants to go three up, three down, but sometimes it just doesn’t fall that way. You want them all to be pretty, but when they’re not, you’ve just got to bear down.”
Yankees Pitcher David Bednar Sends Honest Message on Playing in New York