The bullpen balancing act Yankees face with AL East chase still on

As the playoffs approach, get used to seeing what the Yankees did in Sunday’s 2-0 win: an inning each from Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn and David Bednar.

Actually, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve seen that trio plenty already this season, and it’s served the Yankees well.

But the Yankees will also have to decide whether it’s sustainable to keep up this pace, since Headrick has pitched the most games in the majors and entered Sunday ninth in the majors among relievers with 73 ¹/₃ innings pitched.

Blackburn is fifth on the list at 76 ²/₃ innings pitched, and among closers, only Cleveland’s Cade Smith has outpaced Bednar’s 64 ¹/₃ innings following Sunday’s victory.

Prior to the game, Aaron Boone said he’d “prefer a little lighter load along the way” with some of the high-leverage relievers, but he noted over the past few weeks, they’ve looked to reduce their workload in order to provide “a bit of a reset.”

But Boone also said as they continue to chase the Rays in the AL East and look to hold off the Red Sox for the top AL wild-card spot, that they’ve “still got to be disciplined not overusing them, even when it’s the most critical game. They’re all ready to roll. Any time we have a chance to win a game, I’m gonna go to them.”

It worked again Sunday, as the three relievers combined to toss three shutout innings in relief of the brilliant Cam Schlittler.

Blackburn, in his first full season as a reliever, said it’s been an adjustment getting used to the workload of a reliever, but he feels prepared to pitch frequently both down the stretch and into the playoffs.

New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick throws a pitch in the seventh inning against the Mets on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

“Mentally, that’s where we are and what we believe in,’’ he said. “We’ll probably pitch every day in the playoffs. We’re ready for that, and that’s a good thing for us. It’s not gonna surprise us. We know how to go out there with whatever we’ve got that day.”

Headrick, who has emerged as the pen’s top lefty this season, credits the work he did in the offseason, both in getting stronger and refining his secondary off-speed pitches to allow for better outings.

“To be able to contribute all season long is something we’re proud of as a group,’’ Headrick said. “We know all these games are a mini-test for the postseason, but we don’t look ahead to the end of the year. We just want to keep going.”

As pitching coach Matt Blake has noted, the Yankees have emphasized giving pitchers complete days off from throwing in an effort to keep them fresh for when it matters most.


New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) reacts after the final out of the 9th inning.
New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) reacts after the final out of the 9th inning on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees defeated the New York Mets 2-0. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

He’s aware the plan might not work and they’ll only know at the end of the year.

But Sunday was another outing in which they got just what they wanted.

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