Fresh off of his postseason debut, Luke Weaver learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr. had just declared him built for big spots.
“Oh wow,” Weaver replied with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Asked what makes him that way, the Yankees’ comedic closer then went for a laugh.
“Well, it’s sure not my size, my physique,” said the 6-2, 183-pound Weaver. “Even though I feel like being wiry is a very internally strong foundational attribute.”
Given his stature and goofy-but-chill personality, Weaver doesn’t fit the mold of a typical closer. He certainly doesn’t look like an intimidating force on the mound.
And yet, he’s been nothing short of sensational since taking over the Yankees’ finishing role after Clay Holmes was removed from the job in early September. That run of excellence continued in the Yankees’ 6-5, Game 1 ALDS win over the Royals on Saturday night, as Weaver recorded a four-out save in the first postseason appearance of his nine-year career.
“Excellent, especially his first time in the playoffs,” Aaron Boone said after turning to Weaver with two outs, a runner on and the Yankees up one in the eighth. “Going through the top of that order right there after finishing off the eighth inning is no easy task, and he was up to it.”
As Boone mentioned, Weaver had to face the top of Kansas City’s lineup in the final inning after striking out Maikel Garcia to end the eighth. Weaver went on to strike out Michael Massey and presumed MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr.
Weaver, the beneficiary of a low strike three call, let out a scream after the latter punch out before inducing a game-ending groundout from No. 3 hitter Vinnie Pasquantino.
Luke Weaver bests Bobby Witt Jr. in an 8-pitch battle #ALDS pic.twitter.com/PWLppHwHht
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
“It’s not easy to get those last three outs, so when you come in and you kind of have to cool down and then go back out, it’s impressive,” said Holmes, who got the win after logging 1.2 scoreless innings earlier in the game. “What he’s been doing has been a huge boost for our team.”
“He’s been nasty for us all year,” added Austin Wells, who caught Saturday’s contest. “For him to go out there and get the four outs, he’s being doing that for the last month and a half, so I didn’t expect anything less.”
Indeed, Weaver has been filthy since taking over as the Yankees’ closer. While he and Boone have avoided bestowing that title officially, Weaver is 3-0 with one hold and five saves in as many opportunities since Holmes lost the gig.
Weaver has yet to allow a run over that span, which includes Saturday’s outing, and he’s struck out a whopping 27 of the 44 batters he’s faced over 12.1 innings.
“He’s just incredible,” Juan Soto said.
That same word could describe Weaver’s overall journey up to this point.
A former top prospect and first-round draft pick, the 31-year-old battled injuries and joined the Yankees as an unsuccessful starter late last season. He entered the 2024 campaign with a 5.14 ERA for his career after re-signing for a to-be-determined role over the offseason.
That role turned out to be high-leverage reliever after Weaver adopted a slide-step delivery over the winter and tweaked his fastball grip at Gerrit Cole’s suggestion last September. Weaver went on to record a 2.89 ERA this season while leading the Yankees’ bullpen with 84 innings pitched.
“He’s got a really good idea of what he’s doing,” said Cole, who started Game 1. “His command is impeccable. He uses all four quadrants of the strike zone. There’s really not a matchup that makes you super uncomfortable. He’s an excellent reliever for us, been pitching multiple innings. He’s been remarkably consistent all year, so super confident.”
As good as Weaver has been, it’s hard to believe that results were so hard for him to come by before this season. However, he’s repeatedly talked about his failures preparing him for what he’s accomplished this year.
On Saturday, he said that his struggles forged an “iron wall” within his wiry frame. He’s learned to channel that wall when he needs to slow the game down, especially since taking over the ninth inning.
In Game 1 of the ALDS, however, he couldn’t help but feel the gravity of the moment while delivering on the biggest stage he’s ever performed on.
“I could feel the electricity,” Weaver said. “I could feel all the major things that one would feel out there, one being adrenaline. It was an amazing game. It was a heckuva game to be a part of.
“To go out there and try to make sure we capped it off was definitely a core memory.”