Don't freak out over Yankees demoting Jhony Brito for Ian Hamilton after MLB debut

Looks like Anthony Volpe might not be the only Yankees rookie whose 1-of-1 MLB Debut patch card sells for massive bucks.

With pitching in a precarious position to begin the season, 27th-ranked MLB Pipeline prospect Jhony Brito dominated the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon. In the wake of another bend-don't-break-then-break Clarke Schmidt start, Brito's fluttering changeup represented a breath of fresh air in New York's second shutout in three games to begin 2023.

Then, he was sent down to the minors.

But relax! It was nothing but procedural, and Brito -- who performed much more like a co-ace than a fifth starter -- should be back the next time the Yankees need him to handle a game.

In the meantime, New York will promote a reliever (probably as soon as Monday) who can soak up valuable innings during this turn through the rotation. Thanks to the Yankees' off day on Friday in Baltimore, they technically won't need Brito to start until Weds., April 12 against the Guardians.

For the folks freaking out about this... The Yankees don't necessarily need a fifth starter for a while. No sense in Brito sitting around waiting for his next start when they can add more depth to the bullpen (likely Ian Hamilton or Greg Weissert) in the interim. https://t.co/iMw1DMw5Z5
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) April 3, 2023

Yankees No. 5 starter Jhony Brito demoted, reliever coming up shortly

Sounds cruel, but ... it's just what teams do in 2023. It would be foolish not to demote Brito, and he certainly understands the reasoning.

Which reliever will be taking Brito's roster spot? Deivi Garcia, after an excellent spring (drum roll please...), actually carried his velocity through to the regular season, striking out four in 2.2 shutout innings at Triple-A Scranton over the weekend.

According to a midday report, spring training standout Ian Hamilton earned the spot over familiar face Greg Weissert.

The Yankees have called up Ian Hamilton to replace Jhony Brito after he was optioned, per @BryanHoch
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 3, 2023

Hopefully, whoever's promoted grabs the torch from Brito and continues his dominance. It doesn't get much better than the right-hander's command-focused MLB debut. In fact, the Yankees have never seen a debut start quite like it.

Jhony Brito #FunFact 🚨🚨

Brito is the first pitcher in Yankees history to make his MLB debut and have:
✅0 ER allowed
✅6+ K
✅2 H or fewer allowed
— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) April 3, 2023

Who's the last pitcher the Yankees developed whose command is his foremost strength, and who can attack the zone like this from Day One?

Whenever his next start comes (again, it'll be soon), we eagerly anticipate the results.

Yankees No. 5 starter Jhony Brito demoted, reliever coming up shortly

Schedule