What's Wrong With Luke Weaver?
That’s the million-dollar question—and honestly, given the current state of the Yankees, it’s just one more thing to stress about. With half the roster either hurt or held together by duct tape and prayers, now we have to wonder if Weaver’s fastball is joining the injury parade, too.
Spring training is supposed to be a time for optimism, but Weaver’s velocity readings are setting off alarms instead. Locked On Yankees talked about it. Weaver’s fastball is at 92-93 mph. Sure, it’s normal for pitchers to ease into things during the spring, but this drop-off is enough to make you sit up and say, Uh… that’s not great.
So, is this just a case of a slow build-up, or is there a real problem brewing? Right now, Yankees fans are left crossing their fingers and hoping it’s just early-season rust.
Last year, Weaver was electric—an absolute revelation. He found his groove in the Bronx and looked like a guy who had finally put it all together. When asked about his resurgence, he had this to say:
“Well, it’s sure not my size and my physique, even though I feel like being wiry gives me a very internally strong foundational attribute,” Weaver explained. “I feel like I’m pretty chill personality-wise. Just growing up and playing this game, the [past] failure just builds up kind of an iron wall.”
And boy, did he prove that. Weaver finished 2024 with a 2.89 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 84 innings, then doubled down in the postseason, where he became a bullpen workhorse. Over 15 1/3 playoff frames, he locked down a 1.76 ERA, grabbed four saves, picked up a win, and made himself indispensable.
The Yankees need that guy. And after an offseason filled with high hopes, a spring training filled with injury nightmares is the last thing this team can afford. If Weaver doesn’t get that velocity back, he risks becoming just another middle-of-the-road arm instead of the shutdown weapon the Yankees relied on last year.
So, for now, we wait. And we hope. Because if this team is going to survive the war of attrition that is the 2025 season, Luke Weaver needs to be more than just another guy.
Source: http://bleedingyankeeblue.blogspot.com/2025/03/whats-wrong-with-luke-weaver.html
