TAMPA, Fla — The New York Yankees took on the Blue Jays today in Tampa. The Yankees won the game 5-1, improving to 8-2 in Spring Training before the regulars depart for the WBC.
Notes/Observations
— Paul Blackburn had a solid outing. He struck out two in four scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and did not walk a batter.
His stuff looked good and crisp today. Blackburn struggled with the Mets last season, but was good for the Yankees outside of two appearances that inflated his ERA. This offseason, Blackburn was built up to be a long reliever instead of a starter, which should help the Yankees.
— David Bednar pitched well in his last appearance before heading out for the WBC. Seeing his dominance this spring is promising for the Yankees. If he can close games out, the Yankees will be better in 2026 just because they have someone who can lock down games.
— Fernando Cruz struggled to throw strikes. Still, he was able to work a scoreless inning. His issue throughout his career was his ability to throw strikes. He was able to work through the bases loaded, one out jam he created. It was a very Cruz-esque inning. His best quality is the ability to strike people out, and hopefully playing in the WBC will help ramp him up.
— Tim Hill pitched a 1-2-3 inning today. Notably, he was able to get outs against righties in the appearance. Last season, he struggled a lot against righties, creating the role as a lefty specialist. As the AL East becomes more platoon heavy, the ability to get lefties and righties out is essential.
— Austin Wells hit his first home run of the spring. His approach at the plate has been coming along the past few days.
“Just got a pitch to hit and put a good swing on it” he said “The people in front of me gave me the change to see pitches”
— Jake Bird struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning. His stuff continues to develop through the spring and he has looked good. He will be competing with Cade Winquest and Brent Headrick for one of the last two spots in the Yankees bullpen.
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Highlights
What’s Next
The Yankees will travel tomorrow to Clearwater and take on the Phillies. Will Warren will get his second start of spring. Today was the last day for the players playing in the WBC. Beginning tomorrow, the Yankees will get a good look at a lot of the depth they have in the minors.
Tomorrow’s game won’t be televised in New York, but will be available on NBC Sports Philly and out of market on the MLB app.