The New York Yankees have done very well for the most part this year. Juan Soto and Aaron Judge went on to become two of the most talked-about duo in the league. But well, consistency is where they have struggled with! The team lost their lead for the first time in three weeks last week when Clay Holmes, their closer, blew his 11th save of the season against the Texas Ranger. The Yanks were struggling with back-to-back losses—and Aaron Boone had to do something and do it fast—given playoffs are over the heads now. So, he decided to mix it up a little. 

Clay Holmes was relieved of his job as a closer and instead, Boone decided to bring up multi-inning specialist Luke Weaver for the role. But Weaver was nervous, borderline ‘blacked out’ as he mentioned for taking the role of a closer. But why? He really didn’t have the experience needed to be a closer. Luke Weaver was always a big leaguer for the last nine seasons, but mostly as a starter. But the team saw something about him and took a chance — and it paid off! There was no blown save that day at Wrigley Field. 

Luke Weaver steps up: from debut jitters to ninth-inning hero

Luke Weaver was the ‘chosen one’ for the role of the close-by Boone. And going into the diamond–he felt all the feels he did back when he made his debut in 2016. “I can give you the correct answer, the professional actual answer. I couldn’t see straight. I was blacked out for the most part. I was on pure adrenaline, but it was a great time and it’s an honor to be able to go out there and try to get three of the most important outs in the ballgame and try to get the momentum going on our side,” said Weaver. But unlike Holmes’ 11 times blown save of the season out of 30 tries, Weaver got the job done.

Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless ninth to lock up the 3-0 Yankees win against the Chicago Cubs, and it wasn’t easy. He was up against the Cubs’ top hitters and started strong, striking out Michael Busch on a 98-mph fastball and getting Seiya Suzuki to miss on a 90-mph cutter. But the real test came when Issac Paredes came in and that pushed Weaver through a tense 11-pitch battle, before grounding out to second, sealing the game. “Paredes … he gave me a rough time, no doubt. He gave me a run for my money,” said Luke, but he managed to ace it after Paredes fouled off four 3-2 pitches in a row. 

Aaron Boone gets creative with the closer!

You can only mess up so many times before your job’s on the line—this is the reality and it’s finally sinking in for the Yankees. The issue? Their closer Clay Holmes was struggling, and it was a matter that couldn’t be swept under the rug anymore. At first, Boone was tip-toeing around the issue, but that’s just classic Boone for you or as some say, ‘Baboonie’. But the breaking point came on Tuesday, the New York Yankees lost their lead in the AL East and at this point in the game, it’s something that cannot be overlooked. Clay Holmes recorded his 11th blown save of the season against the Rangers, giving up a one-run lead in a rough ninth inning that ended with rookie Wyatt Langford’s walk-off grand slam.

But after that loss, the Yankees’ manager’s response was–it’s still too early to talk about a change. And he faced major backlash for it! So it was only a matter of time before he spoke. Boone said on Wednesday, “In the short term, just try to put these guys in the best position to be successful. How that shakes out may vary a little bit every night, but in the short term, that’s the way we’ll go. Want to support Clay through this. … The reality is he’s really not that far off from being the dominant guy we know he can be. But in the short term, we’ll certainly be a little creative down there.”

Well, while Boone sure does support Clay Holmes as he navigates through this rough stretch, he sure is experimenting and being creative with his choice. And Weaver has done amazing for his first stint at saving. So, was it a beginner’s luck, or does he have what it takes to be the new go-to guy? What do you think? Let us know below.