The New York Yankees are counting on relief pitcher Luke Weaver to help them throughout the 2024 MLB postseason, much to the surprise of many Reds fans who cringed when he was scheduled to start for Cincinnati in 2023.
In the first playoff pitching action of his career, the Yankees have used him in high-leverage situations in each of their first two National League Division Series games against the Kansas City Royals
Weaver has faced five batters over those two games, striking out three without a walk or a hit and recording a save.
Weaver impressed for the Yankees during the regular season as well, posting a 7-3 record and 2.89 ERA in a career-high 62 appearances, striking out 103 in 84 innings.
It was a very different story for Weaver for the Cincinnati Reds in 2023. In 21 appearances (all starts) for the Reds, Weaver posted a 6.87 ERA and allowed 24 home runs in 97 innings. He was released by the Reds last August.
So what happened between then and now for Weaver? What to know about the 31-year-old from DeLand, Florida:
Weaver was used exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his MLB career.
After the Reds released Weaver, the Mariners signed him, and he posted a 6.08 ERA in five appearances for Seattle. The Yankees selected him off waivers from the Mariners last September, and he made three starts for New York late in the 2023 season.
He was a candidate to start for the Yankees during spring training, but they instead moved him to the bullpen. And it’s been the best season he’s had since posting a 2.94 ERA in 12 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019.
Weaver was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2014 MLB draft.
Weaver went 27th overall in the draft, eight picks after the Reds selected right-handed pitcher Nick Howard, who never reached the majors.
The Reds selected Alex Blandino two picks after the Cards took Weaver. Blandino signed a minor-league deal with the Reds last November in an attempt to come back as a pitcher.
Neither of the top two overall picks in the 2014 draft, Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, reached the big leagues. First-round picks in that draft included Carlos Rodon, former Middletown High School standout Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola, Kyle Freeland, former Red Jeff Hoffman, Michael Conforto, Trea Turner, former Red Brandon Finnegan, Erick Fedde, Grant Holmes, Matt Chapman, Michael Kopech, Jack Flaherty and Connor Joe.
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