Aug 9, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher David Bednar (53) reacts after defeating the Houston Astros 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Yankees New Closer is Crystal Clear

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 11:00 AM ET

David Bednar hasn't even been on the team for two weeks, and he's already the fan favorite for the New York Yankees' closer role.

In last night's game against the Houston Astros, Bednar rescued the Yankees again with a five-out save bolstered by Trent Grisham's game-winning homer.

The Cleveland Guardians are just .5 games behind the Yankees for the last AL Wild Card spot, and every game feels critical. Bednar is putting in a "dawg effort" (in the words of Yankees manager Aaron Boone) to help the team crawl out of the hole they've dug themselves since June.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

With a 3.22 career ERA, Bednar has played for the San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates in an MLB career that began in 2019. Pitching for the Pirates last year, Bednar struggled mightily — coming out of 50 games with a 3-7 record and a 6.32 ERA. Now, with the heat (and Renegade) on, he appears to be thriving.

Current closer Devin Williams has floundered in recent games, and it's hard to blame his continued failures on him alone. Yankees manager Aaron Boone keeps putting him out there in high-leverage situations, and the 30-year-old appears defeated in interviews. He doesn't have it in him at the moment, and with options like Luke Weaver, Tim Hill and Bednar, it doesn't make sense to keep torturing the guy.

Boone's management has been called into question throughout the season, and a particularly weak point has been his misuse of the bullpen. With Bednar's undeniable talent in tight spots, Boone would be foolish not to make good use of him going forward, and we should expect him to be a staple in later innings. Pitching has plagued the Yankees all season, with a string of injuries taking out some load-bearing arms. Having a reliable new closer out of a largely disappointing batch of trade deadline acquisitions is giving fans some much-needed hope.

With some well-established starting talent in Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Luis Gil and promising new kid Cam Schlittler, the Yankees elected not to pick up a new starter at the deadline, instead maximizing their late-game depth and shoring up the infield. Since, reliever Jake Bird (traded from the Colorado Rockies) has already been sent down to Triple-A.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!