It’s no secret that Yankees left-handed relief pitcher Brent Headrick has been one of, if not their most dominant relief pitcher this season in 2026. However, concerns are growing about Brent Headrick as we approach the final week of the regular season before the postseason.
Yankees beat writer Brendan Kuty of The Athletic posted earlier this evening in a tweet that “Headrick’s average fastball velocity tonight in Arizona against the Diamondbacks was 92.9 mph, which Kuty cites as 1.3 mph slower than his ‘season average of 94.2 mph.”
Headrick Gave Up Grand Slam In 8-4 Loss In Arizona
Headrick came into this game with the bases loaded and two outs; he proceeded to walk in a run facing right fielder Corbin Caroll, and then gave up a grand slam to D-Backs third baseman Nolan Arenado to go from a 4-1 Yankees lead to then a 6-4 D-Backs lead, a game in which they would go on to win 8-4. Oddly enough, the pitch before Arenado just pulled foul down the left field line, only to hit a grand slam that stayed fair on the very next pitch to left field.
Headrick has been phenomenal this year with a 7-4 record and a 2.10 ERA in 79 appearances. His ERA has been under 2 for much of the season, but in his last seven games, he’s struggled with a 4.76 ERA in 5.2 innings of work. However, for much of the 2026 season, Headrick’s ERA has been under two. The concerning part is that Headrick looks worn out. Pitching in so many crucial games this year, when the Yankees were tied or in a close game, has forced the organization to rely on Headrick a lot.
It makes sense why Headrick’s velocity, therefore, would be down a bit, per Kuty’s tweet. If the Yankees want to win a World Series, they will need not only significant contributions from key players in the lineup, but also from the bullpen, on which they’ve relied heavily: the trio of closer David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick.
Headrick’s breakout 2026 campaign with the Yankees and his story are a rather interesting one. The Yankees claimed Brent Headrick off waivers in February 2025 from the Minnesota Twins. Before joining the Yankees, Headrick pitched to a 5.97 ERA with the Twins in 15 games spanning 2023-24.
Yankees Likely To Rest Headrick Before Playoffs
Headrick’s usage for the rest of the regular season and then the postseason, likely a Wild Card matchup between the Yankees and Red Sox, will be something to monitor moving forward. If the Yankees want to win a World Series this year, they will have to rely heavily on Brent Headrick, as they have throughout the 2026 season, to get an opportunity in the postseason.
The challenge will also be longer, since the Yankees will likely have to come out of the Wild Card. The Yankees now have their final two regular-season matchups: four games against the Tampa Bay Rays, then three against the Baltimore Orioles. The Wild Card series begins on Tuesday, September 29th, as the Yankees will look for more of the Brent Headrick they’ve seen for much of the 2026 season and not the version they saw of him today.
This One Yankees’ Brent Headrick Concern