Yankees’ Scouting Department again strikes Pitcher who “doesn’t even make sense”

Tampa, Florida – it was over a month ago in the field of George M. Steinbrenner that New York Yankees Shortstop Anthony Polpe saw a pitch for the first time that is not even “not even useful”. It was also a transaction at the end of December that could not make much sense for Yankees fans who saw the raw numbers.

The Yankees exchanged the backup catcher Jose Trevino against the Cincinnati Reds for Fernando Cruz (35) and the catcher Alex Jackson. With the Yankees, Trevino developed into a prize winner from Platinum Glove, but his role would be reduced in 2025 when Austin Wells appeared. The Yankees also had a variety of MLB-capable catchers in their system, which made it possible General Manager Brian Cashman to take a chance of a helper with an ERA of 4.86 ERA last season.

What the Yankees saw beyond the bad era was a pitcher who missed bats, a skill that was lacking in their bullpen for many months in the 2024 season. The 14.72 K/9 ratio of Cruz was the highest of the major under the jugs with at least 50 innerings, and its strike rate of 37.8 percent took third place. Three weeks after the beginning of the 2025 season, Cruz ’18 Strikeouts All American League relievers lead.

Its 37.8 percent strike rates in 2024 rose to 42.1 percent this year. Only Kirby Yates and Yuki Matsui have a higher strike rate than Cruz. His professional percentage has increased from 38.2 percent with the red tones to 50 percent with the Yankees. The main reason why Cruz was successful with the Yankees is that he suppressed hard contact. There Cruz fought the most with the red. This year’s version of Cruz has seen the reliever zero barrels and a meager hard hit rate of 31.6.

Cruz helped the Yankees to keep a 1-0 lead against the Tampa rays in the eighth inning by stretching Taylor Walls and Junior Caminero and at the same time received a leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz to meet a weak popup. The secret of Cruz ‘success is his Split finger fasting, a pitch that, if it is carried out correctly, is one of the most unrestrained in sports. Yankees’ starting jug Carlos Rodón called it a “breakdown”.

Fernando Cruz, disappears 82 km / h splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/zfs10vcGLD

– Rob Friedman (@Pitchingninja) April 19, 2025

“I’ve never seen so many bad swings on it,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone about Cruz ‘Splitter. “I think we are up to 25 (bad swings) where it looks like they have sometimes never met before.”

What the Yankees saw in Cruz ‘Splitter was a pitch that was so dominant that his arsenal had to be optimized so that he was more than in 2024. You have removed his cutter, a place that he threw 25.6 percent of the time. His fast ball was cut into half to make room for a sink. But Cruz ‘specialty is his splitter, a pitch that can only be explained by supernatural forces.

“This is my gift from God,” said Cruz. “It is only the gift he gave me to play this game. I am really grateful and really intended to maximize your potential. I do that. I do the right things to keep the pitch alive and carry it out.”

Cruz was drafted into a shortstop by the Kansas City Royals in 2007, but made his debut in Major-League until 2022. Cruz then crossed the International Winter League for six years. He was also an independent team for a game for the New Jersey Jackals. Cruz has never given up his dream of playing in the big leagues. He gave his MLB debut as a 32-year-old converted shortstop and now makes the opposing rackets look silly.

“From behind it is only the swings that make it look bad,” said Volpe. “I saw him in spring, and it is as if it doesn’t even make sense. You have the feeling that you are right and you can see the video and you have curved and it is like halfway there. In my view in the box, I am glad that he is in our team and we don’t have to face it.”

Cruz did not inspire much confidence from Yankees fans in spring training after releasing a 9.95 -era. But the reliever did not pay attention to the results he published because he knew all the changes that took place behind the scenes. The Yankees revised his arsenal, optimized, where he stood on the hill and experimented with his mechanics. Cruz says he is now in a place where he is completely confident in all his parking spaces.

The best part of Cruz ‘success in the early season is that he does this for a team that he had imagined when he was a child in Puerto Rico. The long journey of independent ball led him to one of the best helpers of MLB to the Yankees in the early season.

“I help my Dream team win games in key situations,” said Cruz. “It’s just a dream that is a dream. It is a dream for me. I am really grateful and satisfied and happy about what happens to me.”

(Photo by Fernando Cruz: Dave Nelson / Imagn Images)