Yankees' Hurler Speaks Out About Ongoing Struggles

New York Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr. got honest about his prolonged pitching woes in August.

Aug 3, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (38) follows through on a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

When the New York Yankees acquired reliever Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs at the 2024 trade deadline, he was expected to shore up the back end of the bullpen.

Instead, Leiter has produced a 6.35 ERA across 11.1 innings and 13 appearances since donning the pinstripes.

Although Leiter made it clear when speaking to the New York Post that his August stats don't tell the entire story.

"I feel good, I feel like I’m for the most part making pitches. It’s just the game of baseball,” Leiter told The Post in an August 31 article. “Sometimes things are going to even out. You have a streak where you don’t give up a hit for nine games and then you have a little bit of a rougher patch. I try not to ride the wave too much. Just knowing that we play 162 games. Not getting caught up on weekly trends. It’s a game of adjustments and we’re constantly trying to make adjustments.”

Leiter had a 4.21 ERA in 39 appearances (36.1 innings) with the Cubs in 2024 before getting traded. Perhaps the most concerning stat from his Yankees tenure has been how the 33-year-old's BAA (batting average against) has skyrocketed from .196 with Chicago to now .340 with New York.

He has also already conceded 4 home runs with the Yankees while only giving up 2 all season with the Cubs.

“If you look at each game, it’s better than probably the numbers would say," Leiter added. "You have a game where you give up two homers — I think I did that once last year as well — it’s just part of the game. It just happened to be when I got to a new team. If I would’ve done that in Chicago right before I got traded, nobody would’ve ever thought about it.”

Despite this tough start to his Yankees career, there's still time for Leiter Jr. to right the ship this season, making his August woes a distant memory.