The New York Yankees just paid $2 million for a pitcher who admits he stumbled into his revamped delivery by mistake—because, of course, that’s how elite mechanics are fine-tuned. In a refreshingly blunt confession, Yankees right-hander Cody Poteet revealed he used Yoshinobu Yamamoto as a “template” while stripping his motion down to the essentials.

At some point in our lives, we try to use someone as a model to reach where they are. That is exactly what Luke Weaver has done using Yoshinubu Yamamoto. He has tried to model Yamamoto, but how successful he was is a whole other topic.

During an interview with Foul Territory, Weaver talked about his pitching style and action. He said, “I didn’t model it after him. I just used him as a template to understand more about what that was going to give me. I kind of did it by mistake. You like eliminated your leg kick. Yeah, the leg kick was garbage.”

We did see some pitching style changes from Luke Weaver last season, and we all had doubts in our minds. Well, here is your answer from the man himself. Weaver says that he didn’t try to model Yoshinobu Yamamoto directly, but took him as a template to improve.

He also says that the leg kick he used to do was eliminated because it was “garbage” and he wanted to reduce unnecessary actions while pitching. The main aim was to use his upper body more and generate the needed power. He says that when he applied all these changes, his pitching started to give quality results.

Weaver’s quest for pitching efficiency may not have been a picture-perfect Yamamoto replication, but at least he managed to ditch the “garbage” leg kick. Whether this streamlined approach turns him into a true Yankees asset or just another experiment in mechanics—well, that’s a pitch only time can throw.

Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver drops his velocity and has the fans pushing alarm buttons

The New York Yankees didn’t sign Luke Weaver expecting him to throw beach balls, but here we are. As Spring Training unfolds, the right-hander’s fastball has mysteriously lost its zip, leaving fans and analysts questioning whether this is just early-season rust—or a red flag waving furiously in the Bronx.

The pace has dropped, and fans are asking questions from the Yankees. In 2024, Luke Weaver was throwing a four-seam fastball at a speed of 95-96 mph. On average, he maintained a velocity of around 95.7 mph throughout the season. This spring saw him drop the velocity by a solid margin.

This means that now, the velocity is down to 92 mph. For a pitcher in the Yankees, a fastball of 92 mph is not suitable. Weaver is not very strong with his variations also, so his fastball was his main weapon. With him losing speed, the Yankees will now be thinking twice before using him in crucial situations.

If Weaver’s fastball was his main weapon, it’s now firing blanks. The Yankees didn’t bring him in to throw batting practice, but with this velocity drop, they might need a backup plan. Whether this is just a temporary Spring Training slump or a long-term concern, one thing’s for sure—the Bronx isn’t a place for pitchers without their edge.