Former Mariners reliever resurfaces in a desperation heave by depleted Yankees

Mention the name Justin Topa to a Mariners fan and there's a good chance they'll smile, given he was arguably the team's best reliever back in 2023. It's a different story in New York however, with Joel Sherman's report that Topa was getting called up being met with vexed expressions on the faces of a Yankees fanbase wondering why? Not exactly the kind of warm welcome a player wants to receive!

In fairness to Topa, the vibe and questioning within the Yankees fans is partly due to concerns it means the team is covering for another injury, and we can't stress the word another enough. As many injuries as the Mariners have suffered this season, the Pinstripes have had it pretty bad as well, particularly with their pitching staff. No matter the reason for his call-up though, things have just gotten plain weird in New York.

Where concern shifts towards Topa specifically comes with what he brings to a bullpen which, while it ranks second in the majors with a 2.97 ERA, is currently running on fumes. The reality is this is no longer the 2023 version of a pitcher who led all Mariners relievers with a career-high 1.6 bWAR and produced a 2.61 ERA over 75 relief appearances.

Can Justin Topa translate his minor league success back to the majors?

Sure, Topa has done a fine job in the minors this season at the Triple-A level, producing a combined 1.75 ERA across 24 appearances for three teams. And since being signed to a deal by the Yankees on Aug. 14, includes a 1.80 ERA across five appearances in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, it's been a different story in the majors with an awful 8.05 ERA in 23 games this season, all while in Minnesota with the Twins.

When it comes to relievers over starters, there's often even more of a need to go beyond ERA to analyze their effectiveness. Unfortunately in the case of Topa, this just gives more reason for concern. For example, he's hovering around a 13 percent strikeout-rate this year, regardless of whether he's pitching in the majors or minors. Also, he was at 95 mph on his sinker during his best season in 2023, but went down to 93.4 mph earlier this year with the Twins.

It's not all bad new with the 35-year-old, as evidenced by an 8% walk-rate and 45.9% ground-ball rate which are both better than average. However, even here there's the question of how those marks in the minors will translate to being back in the big leagues with the Yankees? More generally speaking, we also find there's a certain irony in the pitching-depleted Bronx Bombers turning to a player who has dealt with injury issues throughout his seven years in the majors.

You do have to wonder if Topa will last in New York, with the reality that he probably won't be around very long. And with him unable to be optioned, this would mean then being designated for assignment and looking at the prospect of a fourth team this year. However, we'll be more than happy to be proven wrong, together with the assumption the majority of Mariners fans wish him all the best, despite now plying his trade with the hated Yankees.

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