Paul Blackburn excels as Yankees relief ace after switching to sinker

Paul Blackburn pitched for the New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves on August 9, 2026. Since switching from a cutter to a sinker as his primary fastball in June, Blackburn has achieved a leading 1.17 ERA among MLB pitchers with over 35 innings. His transformation highlights the Yankees' renewed emphasis on the sinker pitch, with Blackburn also noticing improvements in his changeup and curveball confidence. This shift has been crucial to his success as he adapts to a relief role after his previous tenure in the Athletics' rotation.

• 2:00 PMYahoo Sports — How the sinker helped Paul Blackburn transform into a relief ace