The New York Yankees came crashing back down to earth after enjoying a dream start to the 2026 campaign. Through their first eight games, the Yanks raced out to a 7-1 record, but they suffered a worrying 7-6 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday, raising serious concerns.
Entering the new year, fans were worried about what New York’s bullpen would look like, and sure enough, it was the bullpen that faltered in this loss to Miami. While the Yankees have a lot of things going well for them right now, one scout hit the team with a brutal message regarding its bullpen after it faltered vs. the Marlins.
Anonymous Scout Claims “Yankees Bullpen Stinks”
Easily the biggest reason for the Yankees’ early success was their starting rotation, and even though they didn’t get a great outing from Max Fried (6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 3 BB), they still held a 4-3 lead late in the game. Everything changed in a nightmare eighth inning, as the Marlins scored four runs to take a 7-4 lead that they would not relinquish.
The guilty party in this loss was primarily reliever Jake Bird, although Ryan Yarbrough wasn’t much better behind him. While New York has its closer spot filled by David Bednar, right now, it feels like manager Aaron Boone is stuck trying to figure out how to piece things together so that he can get from his starter to his closer in these sorts of tight games.
The duo of Bird and Yarbrough couldn’t get the job done in this one, leading to some serious concerns being raised regarding this group. If you ask one anonymous scout, he thinks the Yanks’ bullpen could once again be the team’s Achilles heel, and they even went as far as to say this unit “stinks” after only seeing it in action for nine games.
“Scout says: ‘Yankees bullpen stinks.’ That’s hyperbole, but fairly, that is this stacked team’s big concern,” Jon Heyman of The New York Post shared in a post on X.
Do the Yankees Have a Bullpen Problem?
GettyANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 29: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees reacts as he walks back to the dugout after a Juan Soto #22 out on a runner’s interference during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 29, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
It’s still very early in the season, meaning there’s time for these pitchers to find their footing. There’s also time for Boone to figure out what he wants his bullpen to look like as the year unfolds. With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon close to making a return from their respective injuries, this group is going to look somewhat different within a couple of weeks.
For now, it’s simply trial and error for Boone, and you can bet it will be a while before either Bird or Yarbrough is thrown into high-leverage situations for the team. New York will enjoy another day off on Monday before turning its attention to its upcoming three-game series against the Athletics, which is set to kick off at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
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