The New York Yankees have successfully turned struggling pitchers into key bullpen contributors, exemplified by Jake Cousins' transformation during the 2024 season. After being traded to the Yankees, Cousins emerged from a challenging past, developing into a vital bullpen asset. His standout performances included eight holds and a career-first save, relying mainly on his exceptional slider and sinker. The Yankees' ability to identify and rejuvenate pitching talent underscores their strategic prowess in team development and the reclamation process.
Over the course of the 2024 season, Jake Cousins worked his way from a low-leverage depth option to a legitimate part of the back end of the Yankees' bullpen.
Cousins' slider is his bread and butter, a filthy pitch with 6.6 inches more break than the MLB average against which opponents hit .141 last year.
Cousins accomplished this while essentially throwing just two pitches, demonstrating significant effectiveness even with a limited arsenal.
The elder statesmen of the Yankees' bullpen reclamation project, Luke Weaver and Jake Cousins, have both made substantial impacts for the team in crucial games.
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