Ryan Yarbrough

Ryan Yarbrough

34-Year-Old PitcherSP
New York Yankees
2026 Stats
W-L
0-0
ERA
0.00
WHIP
0.00
K
0
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
W-L
ERA
WHIP
K
SV
Unlock Our Projections
2026 Fantasy Outlook
It's not uncommon for a player's real-life value to far exceed his fantasy value, and Yarbrough certainly fits into that category. The veteran lefty's average fastball velocity clocks in below 90 mph, putting it in the 1st percentile among big-league hurlers, and Yarbrough's strikeout rate has unsurprisingly never topped 20.8%. His 4.36 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 64 innings last season didn't turn any heads, yet the Yankees happily re-signed him to a one-year deal. Yarbrough's ability to work in multiple roles (he made eight starts and 11 relief appearances last season), as well as his proclivity for inducing weak contact (his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity allowed both ranked north of the 90th percentile), should come in handy for a New York staff that will be waiting for multiple starters to get healthy at the start of the 2026 campaign. As for Yarbrough's fantasy value, there's little to get excited about unless soft-throwing swingmen are your sort of thing. Read Past Outlooks
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RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#372
ADP
League Majors
Bats L
Throws L
40 Man Yes
Height 6'5"
Weight 205
DOB 12/31/1991
Born Austin, TX
College Old Dominion
Drafted 4th Rd 2014 SEA
Signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Yankees in November of 2025.
Hurls three scoreless frames Sunday
PNew York Yankees
March 16, 2026
Yarbrough allowed two hits and struck out two batters over three scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League game against Detroit on Sunday.
Analysis
Yarbrough made his second appearance of the spring for the Yankees, and this was his first outing with New York since returning from a stint with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. The lefty made just one appearance during the tournament, allowing two runs over 2.1 innings against Team Italy. Yarbrough figures to open the regular season in long relief for the Yankees, and he's an option to make spot starts if any of the team's starters are sidelined, especially early in the campaign while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon work on rehabbing their elbow injuries.
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Pitching Stats
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2026 MLB Game Log
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2025
2024
2023
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2024
 
 
-41%
BAA vs LHP
2026
No Stats
2025
 
 
-25%
BAA vs LHP
2024
 
 
-52%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2024vs Left .151 233 52 8 33 2 0 8
Since 2024vs Right .256 429 68 43 95 15 1 16
2026vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2026vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025vs Left .198 88 19 1 17 2 0 4
2025vs Right .263 176 36 18 41 5 1 9
2024vs Left .120 145 33 7 16 0 0 4
2024vs Right .251 253 32 25 54 10 0 7
More Splits→ View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2024
 
 
-49%
ERA on Road
2026
No Stats
2025
 
 
-41%
ERA on Road
2024
 
 
-58%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2024Home 4.76 1.19 85.0 5 3 2 6.6 3.2 1.6
Since 2024Away 2.43 1.00 77.2 3 0 0 6.7 2.4 1.0
2026Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2026Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025Home 5.52 1.26 31.0 0 1 1 7.3 3.2 2.0
2025Away 3.27 1.15 33.0 3 0 0 8.2 2.2 1.6
2024Home 4.33 1.15 54.0 5 2 1 6.2 3.2 1.3
2024Away 1.81 0.90 44.2 0 0 0 5.6 2.6 0.6
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Stat Review
How does Ryan Yarbrough compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
2.89
 
K/9
7.7
 
BB/9
2.7
 
HR/9
1.8
 
Fastball
87.5 mph
 
ERA
4.36
 
WHIP
1.20
 
BABIP
.264
 
GB/FB
1.07
 
Left On Base
78.2%
 
Exit Velocity
80.6 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
4.5%
 
Spin Rate
2017 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
24.4%
 
Swinging Strike
11.5%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2016
Yarbrough appeared in a career-high 44 games, all in relief, in 2024. However, many were as a bulk reliever with 13 outings lasting at least three frames. The lefty began the season with the Dodgers before being dealt to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. He was more effective with Toronto, posting a 2.25 ERA and .79 WHIP over 29 innings, albeit with only 22 punch-outs. However, Lady Luck accompanied Yarbrough across the border, bringing a .203 BABIP and 82.6 percent left-on-base rate with her. Yarbrough's xFIP has ranged from 4.24 to last season's 4.84 mark while his ERA has spread from last year's 3.19 to 5.11. The soft-throwing southpaw relies on batted ball fortune, so he's not fantasy-friendly, especially because his strikeout rate is declining while his walk rate in climbing.
Despite playing for a team other than the Rays for the first time in his big-league career last season, Yarbrough once again served as the pitching equivalent of a super-utility player, bouncing between working as a starter, a bulk reliever and a conventional reliever. The left-hander even picked up first two MLB saves, though one was in a three-inning outing and the other covered four frames. Yarbrough's versatility makes him a useful part of a big-league pitching staff, but it hasn't usually translated to fantasy viability. The veteran hurler simply doesn't put up the type of stats that are attractive in most formats; namely, his strikeout rate (17.8 percent last year) typically hovers near the bottom fifth of the league, and he's posted a cumulative 4.80 ERA over the past three campaigns. His role as a soft-throwing swingman figures to remain the same in 2024.
Yarbrough was designated for assignment by the Rays in the offseason ending his run as the original bulk outing guy who found success working behind an opener while finding the exact opposite most outings as a traditional starter. Yarbrough owns a 4.75 ERA with a .257 opponents' batting average in his career as a traditional starter and a 3.82 ERA with a .248 opponents' batting average as a non-starter. He lacks any type of velocity or spin so he walks an extremely fine line of working the periphery of the strike zone while mixing and matching his pitches and arm angles to keep hitters off balance. The approach can work for sprints, but he also has a career 5.00 ERA once he has flipped a lineup over once. He could be a sneaky AL-Only play after signing with Kansas City, as he induces some of the softest average contact in the league along with a lot of infield fly balls. It's one of the few places where he could have signed on to be a starter out of spring training.
Yarbrough now has four seasons under his belt as the Swiss army knife of the Tampa Bay pitching staff, but he is now at a bit of a crossroads. The 21 starts he made last season were a career high. The club did not use the opener as often with him, but that also cost Yarbrough as he had a career-worst 5.11 ERA. His ERA as a pure starter was 5.46 and 22 of his 25 homers came in those outings. When he pitched in bulk relief, his ERA dropped to 4.03 and he did a much better job limiting hard contact. Ironically enough, Yarbrough has the lowest average exit velocity of any non-full-time reliever in baseball over the past two seasons (min 1,000 pitches). His slippery approach to pitching in and around the strike zone is frustrating for hitters when he hits his spots, but he becomes batting practice when his command falters. If he stays with the club, more bulk pitching could put him back in a better place and make him rosterable again.
Yarbrough appeared almost exclusively as a starter last season for the first time in his three-year career, starting nine games while appearing in relief twice. He cruised to a career-best 3.56 ERA, though the ERA estimators were slightly more pessimistic, as his 3.87 FIP and 4.33 xFIP both sat at roughly the midpoint between his marks from the two previous seasons. His strikeout rate fell to a career-low 18.8%, but when combined with a strong 5.1 BB%, it was generally enough to get the job done. Yarbrough should remain one of the Rays' primary rotation options this season, especially after the departure of Charlie Morton, and there's every reason to believe he'll remain a serviceable starter heading into his age-29 season, albeit a fairly low-ceiling one for fantasy purposes given his consistently mediocre strikeout rates.
Yarbrough worked in the bulk role again in 2019, but early on, his season was disastrous. He was sent down to Triple-A after five appearances to begin the season with an 8.10 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. If it could have gone wrong for him in April, it did. He went down to Durham and tinkered with his approach, deciding to throw his below-average fastball less and add more cutters and sliders...and it worked! He was recalled May 23 and went 9-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 0.87 WHIP until hitting a wall in September where his numbers went back to their April form. Yarbrough is not a starter as he is ideally suited for the bulk role with this limited repertoire. When his command is on, he is excellent at inducing weak contact and generating infield popups and cans of corn to the outfield. He gets hurt when he fails to execute, so a misplaced fastball or a flat cutter becomes a rocket to or over the wall.
With the implementation of the opener in Major League Baseball also came the introduction of the primary pitcher. That was Yarbrough's primary role in 2018. He totaled 147.1 innings despite making just six starts in 38 appearances, and the results were relatively strong despite underwhelming peripherals. He didn't even crack 90 mph on average with his fastball, but his slider and cutter were effective enough against left-handed batters. It was a different story against right-handed hitters -- 10.1 K-BB%, .324 wOBA, 4.34 FIP. Further, Yarbrough's ERA jumped from 2.63 the first time through to 4.29 the second time through (as a reliever), which suggests that both Yarbrough and the team may be better off shortening him up. Factor in the caliber of the offenses in his own division and Yarbrough looks like a low-upside pitcher with the downside of a true middle reliever, so waiver-wire fodder in mixed leagues.
Yarbrough spent the majority of 2015 with High-A Bakersfield in the California League, where he finished with a 4-7 record and 3.76 ERA in 16 starts. He posted a 4.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .266 batting average against, and 1.28 WHIP. Part of his high batting average against can likely be explained by his .324 BABIP, which was much higher than the .266 BABIP he finished with in 2014. Yarbrough had a groin injury in June that sent him to the 7-day DL, but should be healthy to start 2016. Yarbrough's arsenal of pitches includes an average fastball and curveball to go along with an excellent change-up. He moved up from number 11 to number eight on the Mariners prospect rankings during 2015 and is estimated to make the MLB during 2016. Scouts believe has back-of-the-rotation potential, but will most likely end up in the bullpen long-term. If Yarbrough pitches well to start 2016, there is a good chance he could be called-up to the MLB at some point as a lefty reliever.
More Fantasy News
Back with Yankees on one-year deal
PNew York Yankees
November 17, 2025
The Yankees re-signed Yarbrough to a one-year contract Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
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Earns first save of 2025
PNew York Yankees
September 11, 2025
Yarbrough earned the save in Thursday's 9-3 win over the Tigers, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two across three innings.
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Rejoins big club as reliever
PNew York Yankees
September 1, 2025
The Yankees activated Yarbrough (oblique) from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Analysis
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Will return as reliever
PNew York Yankees
Oblique
August 28, 2025
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Yarbrough (oblique) will be used out of the bullpen once he's activated from the 15-day injured list, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
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Staying on rehab assignment
PNew York Yankees
Oblique
August 21, 2025
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Yarbrough (oblique) will make at least one more rehab start before being activated from the 15-day injured list, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Close to re-signing with Yankees
PFree Agent
November 17, 2025
The Yankees are nearing a one-year contract with Yarbrough, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis
It was reported last week that the two sides were interested in a reunion, and it appears a deal is in the offing. Yarbrough held a 4.36 ERA and 55:19 K:BB over 64 regular-season innings covering eight starts and 11 relief appearances in 2025. He'll operate in a swingman role again in 2026.
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