As the Yankees look to rebound against the Rays following a 1-0 loss tonight, a key member of their coaching staff will see his contract expire at the end of the year. Matt Blake, who has served as the Yankees’ pitching coach since the 2020 season, is in the final stretch of his contract with the team. Unsurprisingly, the Yankees are looking to retain Blake for 2027 and beyond, as The New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes. Teams are generally discouraged from making major announcements on postseason game days, so at the earliest, an update on Blake’s status can be expected if and when the Yankees are eliminated.
Since the 2020 season, New York’s pitching staff ranks third in the Majors with a 3.69 ERA and fifth with a 16.0% K-BB rate. This year’s staff was particularly strong. The Yankees’ rotation led the league with a 3.30 ERA during the regular season, and they also finished in the top 10 by ground ball rate (42.9%) and strikeout rate (25.5%).
Cam Schlittler dominated and will likely win the AL Cy Young Award. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon were both effective behind him. Gerrit Cole returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 3.61 ERA in 127 innings, while Ryan Weathers and Will Warren cemented themselves as viable back-of-the-rotation arms.
The bullpen was arguably where Blake’s influence shined the most. The Yankees’ 3.15 bullpen ERA was second-best behind the Red Sox, while they tied for third with an excellent 46.2% ground ball rate. David Bednar had a 2.47 ERA and 35 saves as the closer. Meanwhile, left-hander Brent Headrick and righty Paul Blackburn broke out as relief aces.
Headrick threw a career-high 78 1/3 innings while striking out over 30% of opponents and keeping the ball in the park in a way he hadn’t before. Blackburn, once a nondescript starter for the Athletics and Mets, became something of a fireman, as he held opponents to a 1.69 ERA in 85 innings with a 54.7% ground ball rate. Fernando Cruz was also solid in a leverage role before sustaining a partial UCL tear in August.
Blake’s ability to get the most out of existing starters and turn reclamation projects into relief aces would surely appeal to other teams. The likeliest outcome is that he returns to the Yankees on a multi-year pact. He initially signed a three-year deal with the club in November 2019, then he inked another three-year deal spanning the 2023-25 seasons. The Yankees exercised their 2026 options on Blake and director of catching Tanner Swanson back in November. Given how effectively he’s managed the pitching staff this year, it would seem the job is Blake’s for as long as he wants it.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
