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David Bednar Working Around Frequent Traffic on the Bases Early in 2026
Through his first 9 2/3 innings (10 games) of 2026, New York Yankees closer David Bednar has pitched to a 3.72 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and six saves. While the 31-year-old has blown just one save and does not appear to be in any danger of losing the ninth-inning role for the Yankees, Bednar has not been particularly sharp. His 10.9% walk rate is the worst mark of his career, and his average fastball velocity is down from 97.1 mph to 95.9 mph. Some of Bednar's struggles can be chalked up to his .429 opponent batting average on balls in play, which seems likely to regress closer to his career mark of .296 over a larger sample. Still, it's worth noting that Bednar is allowing more contact this season and is also allowing a 61.5% ground ball rate, both of which could result in an elevated opponent BABIP. Before 2026, Bednar had never allowed a ground ball rate higher than 44.1% over the course of a full season. Bednar remains a quality closer option for fantasy managers, but his unorthodox early-season production could be worth monitoring.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
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