Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

New York Yankees Reliever Luke Weaver Matches Mariano Rivera in Franchise History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated May 15, 2025 10:21 AM ET

The New York Yankees had the most dominant reliever in baseball for nearly two decades, riding Mariano Rivera to five World Series titles.

While Luke Weaver has yet to lead the Yankees to a championship, he has done a pretty solid Rivera impression to open the 2025 campaign.

Weaver notched his fourth save of the season Wednesday night, striking out the side in the ninth to help New York secure a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. The 31-year-old right-hander now has a 0.45 ERA, 0.600 WHIP, 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.4 WAR through 17 games this season.

According to Sports Reference's Katie Sharp, Weaver is the second Yankees pitcher ever to post a 0.45 ERA or lower while allowing 15 or fewer baserunners through their first 17 games of a season, minimum 20.0 innings. The only other time it had ever been previously accomplished in franchise history was when Rivera did so in 1998.

Yankees in first 17 games pitched of season with
✅ 20+ IP
✅ 0.45 ERA or better
✅ <15 baserunners

2025 Luke Weaver
1998 Mariano Rivera
— Katie Sharp (@SharpStats17) May 15, 2025

Across his first eight MLB seasons, Weaver was primarily a starter, suiting up for six different teams along the way. In that time, he went 27-42 with a 5.14 ERA, 1.438 WHIP, 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.7 WAR.

Weaver broke out as a full-time reliever upon arriving in the Bronx in 2024, going 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.929 WHIP, 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.9 WAR. He kept it up in his first career trip to the postseason, posting a 1.76 ERA, 0.652 WHIP and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 12 appearances.

That success has carried into 2025, and if he stays on this pace, Weaver could find himself dealing in October yet again.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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