SAN FRANCISCO — When the Yankees and their torpedo bats were taking the baseball world by storm to open last season, David Bednar was in Pittsburgh and — perhaps not surprisingly — having a much different experience than what was going on in The Bronx.
The closer, an All-Star in 2023, was somewhat stunningly sent down to the minors after a rough three-game stretch to open the season.
It followed a poor end to the previous year and left the right-hander to try to reclaim his career.
“I had about every thought imaginable,” Bednar said this weekend, as the Yankees once again dominated their first series of the new season, this time with old-fashioned good pitching and timely hitting.
“Regardless of how I felt about going down there, that was just the reality I was in,” Bednar said of his demotion. “I had to figure out a way to make it a positive and that’s how I had to frame it: ‘This is gonna be the best thing for me’ or else I probably wouldn’t be in the spot I am now.”
That spot is at the back of the Yankees bullpen, where Bednar saved two of the three wins over the Giants, who looked virtually helpless throughout the series — although the same could have been said about the Brewers after the Yankees stomped them for three games in The Bronx to open 2025 and Milwaukee turned out to be formidable.
For Bednar, after blowing two saves in his first three outings with the Pirates last year, his stint with Triple-A Indianapolis lasted just five effective appearances. He was recalled April 19 and was back as the full-time closer within a month.
And at the trade deadline, Bednar became the key part of the Yankees bullpen makeover.
The right-hander was far from his sharpest in Saturday’s win at Oracle Park, but he survived unscathed, as he protected a two-run lead to finish the sweep.
“I know he’s not gonna flinch,” Aaron Boone said afterward.
Aaron Judge added: “He always finds a way out of it.”
Including the unpleasant predicament he found himself in a year ago.
Bednar’s effectiveness dropped off significantly following his 2023 All-Star campaign. His walks per nine innings jumped from 2.8 to 4.4 and his strikeouts per nine innings dropped from 12.0 in 2022 to 9.1 in ’24.
But that didn’t mean Bednar thought he’d be back in the minors.
He credited the pitching coaches at Triple-A for getting him back.
“I had to get more consistent with everything,” said Bednar, whose repertoire includes a four-seam fastball, curveball and splitter. “When I’m having success, it’s because I’m throwing my three pitches for strikes. So much of it is about confidence.”
That confidence had returned by the time he got to the Yankees, who were mostly unconcerned about Bednar’s earlier struggles and trip to the minors.
In his final 39 appearances with Pittsburgh following his return from Triple-A, Bednar allowed less than one base runner per inning and struck out 50 — against just eight walks — in 37 innings.
He proved to be effective with the Yankees down the stretch, as he took over the closer role and pitched well when Devin Williams faltered.
“It was definitely a lot to deal with before I got here, but it was gritty,” Bednar said. “And I pride myself on being gritty and getting through tough spots. You’ve got to learn from it and just put your head down and do the work.”
And now, he gets a chance to close games in important situations — which wasn’t always the case in Pittsburgh.
“I got a taste of the playoffs last year and that’s what you grind for,” Bednar said. “I want to be in those big spots and now that I am again, I’m proud of myself and how I dealt with everything.”