Could Anthony Misiewicz become a shutdown reliever with the Yankees?

After the 2023 season the Yankees had a Wandy Peralta void to fill. Peralta has been rock solid and has given the Yankees stability in the late innings. He served as their best lefty reliever for several years. Many wanted the Yankees to bring him back after the season, but the Yankees instead traded for Victor Gonzalez, which likely allows them to spend more money on other needs. As it stands, the Yankees have three lefty relievers on the 40-man roster. Aside from Gonzalez, the other two are Nick Ramirez and Matt Krook.

Ramirez had a career year under the tutelage of Matt Blake, with a 2.66 ERA. It was far and away the best year of his career at the age of 33, which was a great story. There is hope that he can sustain this success, however it’s no guarantee.

Matt Krook dominated Triple-A last year but got roughed up during his major league debut. He let up 11 runs in just 4.0 innings. It’s tough to rely on him next year to give significant innings at a high level.

The Yankees made an under-the-radar move that gave them depth at the position. They brought back Anthony Misiewicz on a minor league deal. It was scary to see Misiewicz get hit in the head with a comebacker in September. After some promising appearances, he missed the rest of the season as a result. All of the thoughts and prayers seemed to have been answered, and Anthony made a full recovery and is back to baseline.

While Misiewicz’s career numbers will not inspire confidence, there is reason to believe the Yankees found something in him that will result in a breakout in 2024 if he gets an opportunity. A quick look at his pitch selection before and after he joined the Yankees shows that he drastically increased the use of his cutter immediately after the Yankees picked him up. This cutter averages 89-90 mph and has around 30 inches of vertical break with six inches of horizontal movement.

He also decreased usage of the four-seam fastball that had been getting hit hard and scrapped his slider. He instead focused on the cutter and his curveball, which has excellent vertical movement.

These changes resulted in an immediate improvement in his performance, though the sample size was small. Couple this with the fact that Misiewicz had not yet had a chance to work with Matt Blake, and you have the ingredients for another reliever breakout for the Yankees.

Misiewicz’s four-seam fastball seems like an obvious place for Blake to have an impact. He has good enough velocity on the pitch, sitting 93-94 mph. The pitch lacks movement, which is why it was hit hard last year. If Blake can help him get more movement on the four-seam fastball or develop a two-seamer this offseason, Misiewicz could take his game to the next level.

The Yankees have become a factory churning out good relievers every season since Matt Blake’s arrival. Anthony Misiewicz could be the next player to make that jump, and I am excited to have him back in the organization.