Paul Blackburn Sheds Underdog Label as Yankees’ Bullpen Anchor

For weeks, manager Aaron Boone treated Paul Blackburn as the Yankees’ best-kept secret. Despite the right-hander stringing together scoreless outings from the bullpen, his contributions went largely unnoticed outside the clubhouse.

That anonymity is rapidly evaporating.

“About a week ago, 10 days ago, somebody asked me about the job he had done,” Boone said after Blackburn delivered two shutout innings to secure a 2-0 victory in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pirates, salvaging a split at Yankee Stadium. “It had been about a month-plus of some really good work — whether it be a high-leverage situation, whether it’s giving you multiple innings on a given night. It’s been about six weeks where he’s gotten his stuff in a really good place. He’s another guy like [Brent] Headrick, you feel good about going through lefties and righties. He’s been big for us.”

The veteran right-hander is enjoying a career resurgence, lowering his ERA to 2.00 after his latest appearance. He has surrendered just one earned run across his last 14 outings dating to June 21, spanning 21⅓ innings.

After high-leverage relievers David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, and Headrick were deployed in the opener, Blackburn’s two-inning stint proved pivotal. He entered the seventh inning with a runner on first base, and the situation intensified when Jared Triolo stole second and advanced to third on catcher Ali Sánchez’s throwing error, positioning the go-ahead run 90 feet away.

Blackburn responded by striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna to escape the jam, and the Yankees’ offense broke through in the bottom half of the inning.

The 32-year-old joined the Yankees last season after his release from the Mets in August. Though he struggled initially, he valued his experience in the Bronx and returned on a one-year deal. This season, he has transformed into a cornerstone of the bullpen.

“Just when I showed up last year, I didn’t know what to expect,” Blackburn said. “I walked in, there was a plan for me from day one. It just seemed like they were interested in helping me and getting me back to where they thought I could be.”

A key factor in his turnaround is increased velocity across his arsenal. Blackburn is averaging a career-best 94.2 mph on his sinker, up from 92.6 mph a year ago, enhancing the effectiveness of his secondary offerings.

“I had a full offseason this year,” Blackburn said. “I focused on little different things I needed to get stronger and [gain] more mobility. Just ran with it.”

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