Angel Chivilli is quickly shifting Yankees conversation (though there's much to be done)

The New York Yankees' bullpen has its merits, but there are still weak spots and concerns. Brent Headrick has been amazing, but he leads the league in appearances, and there's concern that the wheels could fall off at any moment. Combine that with Tim Hill's regression, Camilo Doval's awfulness, and some volatility from Fernando Cruz, and you can see why feelings of worry are bubbling underneath the surface.

The Yankees are said to "crave" San Diego Padres superstar Mason Miller, but we know the cost would be astronomical. And that fanciful acquisition might not be enough. After all, David Bednar has been nearly invincible over the last two months, but it's the bridge to the ninth that really needs to be shored up.

Finding a solution for those middle innings is key, and if New York went all in for Miller (or for one of the top catchers on the market), they might not have enough assets to grab another key veteran reliever. Fortunately, they might have already stumbled upon one in Angel Chivilli.

Yankees need to give Angel Chivilli every opportunity to prove that he could be a solution before the trade deadline

The trade that brought Chivilli to the Bronx wasn't one that drove great expectations. The 24-year-old has a live arm, but coming off a 7.06 ERA over 58 2/3 innings in 2025, he was thought to be a long-term project with little shot of paying off.

The cost of acquisition didn't seem like much. TJ Rumfield was not a highly regarded prospect, was about to turn 26, and was firmly blocked by Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt. The Colorado Rockies gave Rumfield a shot, and they're glad they did, as he's turned into a dark horse NL Rookie of the Year candidate.

Chivilli, on the other hand, pitched 2 1/3 innings in April, giving up one earned run, two hits, and three walks before being banished to Scranton. Over 16 2/3 Triple-A innings following rehab from a shoulder injury, he stunned us. In that time, Chivilli posted a razor-thin 1.08 ERA with hitters batting just .143 against him. It was impressive, but it wasn't a terribly large sample.

It was still enough for him to get another shot in the big leagues, receiving the call on July 5. Since then, he's thrown nine innings without allowing an earned run, posting nine strikeouts, one walk, and just three hits.

The Yankees are starting to trust him, too. Up 8-5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 20, Aaron Boone went to Chivilli to replace a struggling Ryan Weathers with two outs and a man on first. Chivilli walked Marcell Ozuna, but then got pinch hitter Jacob Gonzalez to line out to right field to wiggle out of trouble. He returned for the sixth inning and set down the next three hitters in order, credited with the win for his efforts.

Then, during the second game of the July 22 doubleheader against Pittsburgh, Chivilli was trusted to come in for the sixth inning of a 0-0 tie. He pitched another perfect inning, and the Yankees eventually won the game 2-0. He has since tossed 2 1/3 additional scoreless innings and was trusted with the sixth and seventh on two occasions. He now owns a 0.66 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in his 13 2/3 innings this year.

If Chivilli can prove that he can be an answer in the sixth inning of tight games and can work out of jams, he could solve one of the bullpen needs. It will take more of these sorts of stellar performances to truly buy in, and it won't eliminate the necessity for another high-leverage arm, but it could solve a lesser bullpen need. It would behoove the Yankees to give him as many opportunities as possible from now until the August 3 trade deadline to see what they really have in the fireballing right-hander.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow