The New York Yankees face a bullpen overhaul after losing several relievers from 2025 (Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, Mark Leiter Jr., Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, Scott Effross). Below we analyze six under-the-radar free-agent relievers (three righties and three lefties), who could significantly bolster the Yankees’ relief corps in 2026. We focus on their 2025 performance (with career context) and key metrics: swing-and-miss ability (whiff%, K%, chase%), walk rates, ground-ball tendencies, and weak-contact inducement.
RHP Shawn Armstrong (Age 35)
Armstrong quietly had an outstanding 2025, splitting time as a multi-inning reliever and occasional closer for the Texas Rangers. He posted a 2.31 ERA with a microscopic 0.81 WHIP over 74 innings, tallying 74 strikeouts against only 22 walks. This equates to a solid ~25% strikeout rate with a walk rate around 6.5%, showcasing an excellent balance of swing-and-miss and control. Interestingly, Armstrong achieved that K-rate despite a relatively modest whiff% (he induced swings-and-misses on ~24% of swings, roughly league-average) and a very low chase rate (just 24.4% of out-of-zone pitches were swung at in 2025). In other words, he didn’t rely on hitters fishing; instead, he attacked the zone effectively. Hitters batted only .202 against him, and he allowed extremely weak contact. His average exit velocity was only 88.0 mph and hard-hit rate just 34.2%, placing him among the best relievers at limiting hard contact. While not an extreme ground-ball pitcher, Armstrong’s sinker/cutter/four-seam/sweeper pitch mix did produce its share of grounders and a very low home-run rate (0.51 HR/9) in 2025. Overall, his profile, a strike-thrower with above-average strikeout ability and soft contact induced, makes him a high-leverage bullpen stabilizer. Not to be overlooked, he also saved 9 games for Texas and showed versatility pitching in any inning.
RHP Taylor Clarke (Age 32)
Clarke is another unheralded right-hander who excelled in 2025, in his case with the Kansas City Royals. He recorded a 3.25 ERA and an eye-popping 0.85 WHIP over 55⅓ innings (51 games). Clarke achieved that ultra-low WHIP by severely limiting hits and free passes. Clarke walked only about 8% of batters and allowed just 6.5 hits per nine. His strikeout rate (19.5% in 2025) was around league-average (44 Ks) and he isn’t a huge whiff generator, but he excelled in contact management. Opponents managed only a .256 wOBA off Clarke in 2025, well below league norms. Statcast shows hitters often hit topped grounders or pop-ups against him, as he induced a roughly 44% ground-ball rate (right at league average) and a higher-than-normal 8.6% popup rate. In fact, Clarke’s quality-of-contact metrics were strong: only 7.9% of plate appearances resulted in a barrel (near average) and his “solid contact” rate was under 5%. He did allow a moderate hard-hit rate (~41%), but many of those were on the ground or to pull fields where his defense could convert outs. Importantly, Clarke was dominant with men on base, evidenced by his low ERA and the fact that right-handed hitters slashed a paltry .179/.209/.311 against him (a .226 wOBA). His arsenal (94–95 mph heater, slider, sinker, changeup) kept hitters off balance despite only average whiff rates. In summary, Clarke brings elite run prevention skills, driven by low walks and an ability to induce relatively weak or easily fielded contact. He could serve as a reliable middle-innings arm who won’t beat himself with walks or big mistakes.
RHP Hunter Harvey (Age 30)
Harvey is a high-upside, high-octane arm who showed flashes of brilliance in a limited 2025 sample. After missing most of the season due to injury, he made 12 appearances (5.1 IP with the Washington Nationals, then 5.1 IP with Kansas City) and did not allow a run in 10.2 total innings. His 2025 ERA was 0.00 with a 0.66 WHIP, 11 strikeouts, and only 1 walk. Even in that small sample, Harvey’s raw stuff shone through. His fastball averaged 96–97 mph and he can touch 100+; that power heater generated a 27.5% whiff rate in recent seasons. In 2025, he struck out 28.2% of batters while walking just 2.6%, an elite K-BB profile albeit in limited action. Harvey’s approach tends to yield a mix of strikeouts and ground balls. In 2023 he had around a 44% ground-ball rate, and in 2025 we saw a similar trend (his Statcast GB% was ~44%, right at average). Notably, he did not allow a single barrel or homer in 2025. Essentially, when Harvey was on the mound, hitters either missed or made harmless contact. This was evident in his 60% grounder/fly ratio and only 6 hits allowed in 10+ innings. The key with Harvey is health, but if he’s healthy, the Yankees could be getting a premium power reliever. Think of a righty who can sit 98 mph, miss bats at a high clip, yet also pounds the zone and limits walks. His combination of an electric fastball and a sharp curve gives him closer-level upside. In a full, healthy season, Harvey could be a huge bullpen weapon, delivering both strikeout punch and efficient, ground-ball outs in big spots.
LHP Danny Coulombe (Age 35)
Coulombe might be one of the most underrated lefty relievers in baseball over the past couple seasons. Since 2023, he’s quietly compiled 107⅔ innings of 2.09 ERA ball, striking out 28.3% of hitters while walking only 5.7%, with a 44.5% ground-ball rate over that span. In 2025, pitching for the Minnesota Twins (and later Texas), Coulombe continued his excellent run. With the Twins, he was nearly untouchable: through July 18 he had a 0.68 ERA in 26⅔ innings, with a 27.9% K-rate and 6.7% BB-rate, indicators of legitimately strong performance, not just luck. His FIP at that point was 1.69, underscoring how dominant he was. A late-season injury tempered his overall totals, but he still finished with 43 innings, 43 Ks (~24.4% K-rate) and a mid-2’s ERA. Coulombe achieves this with a crafty arsenal and excellent command. He’s not a hard-thrower (averages ~90–91 mph), but he mixes a cutter, sinker, slider, and curveball to keep hitters off balance. Those pitches yield a lot of weak contact and few free passes. In 2025, his hard-hit rate against was around 38%, and he allowed barrels on only ~5% of balls, thanks in part to his ability to keep the ball down. His ground-ball rate was about 42% with Minnesota (and 41.8% on the year), right around average, but when hitters did elevate, they rarely squared him up (only 1 home run allowed in his first 26+ IP). Perhaps most impressive is Coulombe’s performance against both lefties and righties. He had virtually no platoon split. In fact, in 2025 lefty batters hit .208/.240/.229 off him, while righties hit .163/.241/.204. That reverse split success is huge for a modern bullpen piece. In a Yankees uniform, Coulombe could slot in as a dependable late-inning lefty who can face any part of the order. Expect a solid strikeout rate, very low walk rate, and consistent weak contact, making him an unsung workhorse to stabilize the bullpen.
LHP Sean Newcomb (Age 32)
Newcomb’s career to date has been a roller coaster, but his late-2025 surge with the Athletics suggests he may have finally “figured it out.” After a middling start to the year with the Boston Red Sox (4.00+ ERA as a swingman), Newcomb was dealt to the A’s and absolutely thrived, emerging as their most effective reliever down the stretch. For the Athletics, he logged 51.1 innings with a 1.75 ERA across 32 appearances, averaging multiple innings at times. His second-half numbers were jaw-dropping: in 28 innings after the All-Star break, he allowed just 3 earned runs (0.96 ERA), with 27 strikeouts and only 6 walks. The key was dramatically improved control, the lingering command issues that once plagued him (e.g. 8 BB in 10 IP for the A’s in 2024) were largely gone. His walk rate with the A’s in 2025 was roughly 7%, a huge improvement for a pitcher who earlier in his career often ran double-digit BB%. At the same time, Newcomb missed bats at an excellent clip (27 Ks in those final 28 IP). His swing-and-miss arsenal includes a 94 mph fastball that he isn’t afraid to challenge hitters with, and a big curveball that was “baffling hitters” all summer. He generated about a 23% overall strikeout rate on the season (91 K in 92⅓ IP), but that was weighed down by his early struggles. In relief with the Athletics he was closer to a 30% K-rate. Newcomb is not an extreme ground-ball pitcher (his GB% was around 38% prior to 2025, and roughly average in ’25), but he succeeded by avoiding hard contact in the air. He surrendered just 4 home runs in 92+ innings all year, thanks to that sharp breaking ball and better location of his heater. His post-trade metrics suggest a pitcher who finally put the pieces together: improved first-pitch strike rate, fewer free passes, and hitters chasing his curve out of the zone more often. If that version of Newcomb is the real deal, the Yankees could steal a versatile left-hander capable of dominant multi-inning stints. He showed he can come in to neutralize a tough lefty bat or even work 2–3 innings to bridge a gap, all with front-line results (he was worth 1.0 WAR in just one-third of a season for the A’s). That late-2025 performance indicates Newcomb could be a high-reward gamble with the upside of a late-blooming Andrew Miller-type weapon.
LHP Drew Pomeranz (Age 37)
Pomeranz’s 2025 story was nothing short of remarkable. After not pitching in the majors from 2022–2024 due to injuries, he latched on with the Chicago Cubs and delivered a resurgent season that put him back on the map as a top bullpen arm. Pomeranz made 57 appearances for Chicago, logging 49⅔ innings with a sparkling 2.17 ERA (2-2 record, 1 save). He was one of the Cubs’ most reliable high-leverage relievers, even being used as an opener in postseason Game 5 of the NLDS. What’s impressive is that Pomeranz essentially picked up where he left off pre-injury. In 2020–21 with San Diego, he was elite (1.45 and 1.75 ERAs). In 2025, he struck out 57 batters in 49⅔ IP (10.3 K/9) and while his walk rate was a bit elevated (~10%), he mostly mitigated damage by limiting hits and homers (just 3 HR allowed). His WHIP was a tidy 1.07 on the season, and batters hit only about .226 against him. Pomeranz’s swing-and-miss ability is still above average, his mid-90s fastball and nasty knuckle-curve produced a ~13% swinging-strike rate and 28% K%. And he’s long been known for missing bats; even at age 36, his fastball averaged around 94 mph with good spin. Perhaps more surprising was his durability. He appeared in a team-high 57 games. Statcast suggests he did benefit from some luck (his FIP was 3.54, indicating his 2.17 ERA outperformed expected levels), but even the expected stats pegged him as a solid setup man. He allowed a hard-hit ball on only ~35% of balls in play (better than league average), and his experience showed in tight spots (an 83% strand rate). The Yankees would be betting that Pomeranz stays healthy, but if he does, they’re getting a battle-tested lefty with closer experience and a wipeout breaking ball. In Chicago he was often used against the heart of opposing orders, regardless of batter handedness, because he has no platoon weakness, in fact right-handers hit just .211 off him in 2025. Pomeranz’s comeback year demonstrated he can still generate whiffs (especially via his curve’s 40%+ whiff rate in key moments) and induce poor contact (average exit vel. ~90 mph). For a Yankees bullpen in need of veteran savvy, strikeout prowess, and a champion’s mindset (he won a ring in 2018), Pomeranz could be an ideal addition on a short-term deal.
Each of these six relievers brings a unique profile, but all share traits the Yankees covet: the ability to miss bats, limit walks, and avoid damaging contact. In 2025, all six had strikeout rates hovering in the 23–28% range (with Harvey higher in a small sample), and most had walks in the very low single-digits. Several (Armstrong, Coulombe, Pomeranz) demonstrated exceptional contact suppression, holding opponents well below a .230 wOBA. None is a household name, but together they could transform the Yankees’ bullpen from a weakness into a strength. With a blend of power righties and crafty lefties, and metrics that back up their performance, this under-the-radar group might be exactly what an analytically inclined Yankees front office is looking for to miss more bats, get more soft grounders, and lock down late-inning leads in 2026.
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