2 relievers who've moved up Yankees' trust tree, 2 who've already moved down

Through the first few weeks of the season, the New York Yankees have seen mixed results in just about every aspect of the game. The performance of their bullpen is no exception, and there are two relievers who have gained trust and two who have left the team feeling uneasy about using them in big spots.

2 relievers who've moved up Yankees' trust tree

1. Luke Weaver

Luke Weaver has arguably been the Yankees' best reliever so far. Just months after serving as the club's closer, he has started 2025 with 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball. He currently ranks in the 96th percentile in Offspeed Run Value and the 97th percentile in xBA.

The Florida native has also already collected a save. When Devin Williams went on the paternity list earlier this month, Weaver stepped in to collect a four-out save and slammed the door on a 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“You can’t replace a Devin Williams,” Aaron Judge said, “but you got a guy like Luke Weaver who, we all saw what he did there the last month, month-and-a-half with us — especially in the postseason. … It’s gonna be a nasty combo down there at the back end.”

Weaver has been as good as expected. As a result, he's cemented his status as one of manager Aaron Boone's most trusted relievers.

2. Jonathan Loaisiga

Jonathan Loaisiga has not pitched in a year. Technically, he does not belong on this list because he has not yet returned from an elbow injury that has kept him sidelined.

But the bullpen's generally shaky start to the campaign means that Boone will have to trust the 30-year-old once he returns. Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Tim Hill have all had their ups and downs. It could be argued that, when healthy, Loaisiga has better stuff than any of them, and likely could have been the setup man last season if he managed to stay healthy.

Loaisiga's sinker is typically around 97 MPH, and it plays nicely with both his changeup and curveball. There is no guarantee that the 30-year-old will be elite out of the gate, but he will be given opportunities given the fact that others have struggled. No one has been a bigger beneficiary of their own inactivity than Loaisiga.

2 relievers who've already moved down Yankees' trust tree

1. Mark Leiter Jr.

Mark Leiter Jr. has been given a few opportunities to earn the team's trust. While he has been mostly productive, an early slip-up against the Diamondbacks presented a reason to be cautious, and will be hard for many fans to move past.

The 34-year-old entered the game in the 8th inning with one out, one runner on base, and a 4-3 lead. After walking the first two batters he faced and striking out the next, he then surrendered a two-strike grand slam that gave Arizona a lead that they would not relent.

It might not be fair to place Leiter here on the basis of one particularly poor outing (after all, he was the one who served as a fireman for the next name on our list in Detroit), but he will need to keep showing that this sort of outing will not be the norm.

2. Devin Williams

It is certainly not time to panic, but Devin Williams has not looked like himself yet. The St. Louis native barely recorded his first save on Opening Day, and has already allowed four earned runs in his first three innings of work.

The former Brewer seemed out of sync in a recent outing against the Detroit Tigers. Williams entered the 9th with a 4-0 lead, and allowed three earned runs while only getting two outs. Leiter cleaned up the game and picked up his first save, but the contest should have never gotten that stressful.

“I’m still figuring stuff out,” Williams said after the game. “I haven’t felt like 100 percent myself up to this point, but I would say I’m getting closer, for sure.”

Some are already suggesting changes due to Williams' lackluster start and dip in velocity. It might be too early to make any drastic decision's regarding the All-Star's role, but he has yet to earn his pinstripes, or the trust that a dominant closer usually warrants.