Ryan Yarbrough

Ryan Yarbrough

32-Year-Old PitcherRP
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Despite playing for a team other than the Rays for the first time in his big-league career last season, Yarbrough once again served as the pitching equivalent of a super-utility player, bouncing between working as a starter, a bulk reliever and a conventional reliever. The left-hander even picked up first two MLB saves, though one was in a three-inning outing and the other covered four frames. Yarbrough's versatility makes him a useful part of a big-league pitching staff, but it hasn't usually translated to fantasy viability. The veteran hurler simply doesn't put up the type of stats that are attractive in most formats; namely, his strikeout rate (17.8 percent last year) typically hovers near the bottom fifth of the league, and he's posted a cumulative 4.80 ERA over the past three campaigns. His role as a soft-throwing swingman figures to remain the same in 2024. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#389
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Dodgers in January of 2024. Traded to the Blue Jays in July of 2024.
Piggybacks opener
PToronto Blue Jays  
September 30, 2024
Yarbrough allowed four hits over 3.2 scoreless innings in a no-decision Sunday. He struck out three during the loss to Miami.
ANALYSIS
Yarbrough did not allow a runner to reach scoring position during his outing. He gave up four runs over his final 26.1 innings, dropping his season ERA from 3.86 to a career-best 3.19. He threw 98.2 innings in 44 appearances this season with the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
Read More News
Pitching Stats
Loading Pitching Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2024 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2023 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2019 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Pitching Game Log...
Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
34
Last 10 Games
39
Last 5 Games
43
How many pitches does Ryan Yarbrough generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Ryan Yarbrough generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-34%
BAA vs LHP
2024
 
 
-52%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-4%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-48%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .182 331 73 18 55 6 0 10
Since 2022vs Right .277 799 120 50 199 37 0 26
2024vs Left .120 145 33 7 16 0 0 4
2024vs Right .251 253 32 25 54 10 0 7
2023vs Left .280 106 20 6 28 5 0 4
2023vs Right .268 271 47 8 68 9 0 9
2022vs Left .159 80 20 5 11 1 0 2
2022vs Right .308 275 41 17 77 18 0 10
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-9%
ERA on Road
2024
 
 
-58%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-21%
ERA at Home
2022
 
 
-5%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 4.22 1.19 128.0 11 6 3 6.5 2.7 1.2
Since 2022Away 3.85 1.21 140.1 5 11 0 6.5 1.9 1.2
2024Home 4.33 1.15 54.0 5 2 1 6.2 3.2 1.3
2024Away 1.81 0.90 44.2 0 0 0 5.6 2.6 0.6
2023Home 3.98 1.09 43.0 4 2 2 7.1 1.5 1.0
2023Away 5.01 1.35 46.2 4 5 0 6.4 1.4 1.5
2022Home 4.35 1.39 31.0 2 2 0 6.1 3.5 1.2
2022Away 4.59 1.37 49.0 1 6 0 7.3 1.8 1.5
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Ryan Yarbrough compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
2.03
 
K/9
5.9
 
BB/9
2.9
 
HR/9
1.0
 
Fastball
86.3 mph
 
ERA
3.19
 
WHIP
1.03
 
BABIP
.217
 
GB/FB
1.13
 
Left On Base
76.2%
 
Exit Velocity
78.3 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
4.1%
 
Spin Rate
1951 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
19.0%
 
Swinging Strike
9.4%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
Loading Advanced Pitching Stats...
Defensive Stats
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Stats Vs Today's Lineup
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ryan Yarbrough See More
MLB Barometer: Every Hitter Dealt at the Deadline
109 days ago
Which hitters were the biggest winners and losers of the trade deadline, and which one best describes new Ray Christopher Morel?
AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
109 days ago
Erik Siegrist sifts through the roster fallout in the American League from a busy trade deadline, but it's the Orioles' latest wave of elite prospects that could make the biggest impact.
NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
109 days ago
Jan Levine brings you all the NL fallout from the trade deadline.
MLB FAAB Factor: Deadline Fallout Edition
112 days ago
The trade deadline shook up rosters around the league and provided plenty of pickup opportunities, including probable Angels closer Ben Joyce.
MLB Points Leagues: Finding a Pitching Edge Late in Matchups
154 days ago
Dan Marcus looks at some under-the-radar pitching options who can help you win specific matchups, such as the Pirates' Luis Ortiz.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2016
Yarbrough was designated for assignment by the Rays in the offseason ending his run as the original bulk outing guy who found success working behind an opener while finding the exact opposite most outings as a traditional starter. Yarbrough owns a 4.75 ERA with a .257 opponents' batting average in his career as a traditional starter and a 3.82 ERA with a .248 opponents' batting average as a non-starter. He lacks any type of velocity or spin so he walks an extremely fine line of working the periphery of the strike zone while mixing and matching his pitches and arm angles to keep hitters off balance. The approach can work for sprints, but he also has a career 5.00 ERA once he has flipped a lineup over once. He could be a sneaky AL-Only play after signing with Kansas City, as he induces some of the softest average contact in the league along with a lot of infield fly balls. It's one of the few places where he could have signed on to be a starter out of spring training.
Yarbrough now has four seasons under his belt as the Swiss army knife of the Tampa Bay pitching staff, but he is now at a bit of a crossroads. The 21 starts he made last season were a career high. The club did not use the opener as often with him, but that also cost Yarbrough as he had a career-worst 5.11 ERA. His ERA as a pure starter was 5.46 and 22 of his 25 homers came in those outings. When he pitched in bulk relief, his ERA dropped to 4.03 and he did a much better job limiting hard contact. Ironically enough, Yarbrough has the lowest average exit velocity of any non-full-time reliever in baseball over the past two seasons (min 1,000 pitches). His slippery approach to pitching in and around the strike zone is frustrating for hitters when he hits his spots, but he becomes batting practice when his command falters. If he stays with the club, more bulk pitching could put him back in a better place and make him rosterable again.
Yarbrough appeared almost exclusively as a starter last season for the first time in his three-year career, starting nine games while appearing in relief twice. He cruised to a career-best 3.56 ERA, though the ERA estimators were slightly more pessimistic, as his 3.87 FIP and 4.33 xFIP both sat at roughly the midpoint between his marks from the two previous seasons. His strikeout rate fell to a career-low 18.8%, but when combined with a strong 5.1 BB%, it was generally enough to get the job done. Yarbrough should remain one of the Rays' primary rotation options this season, especially after the departure of Charlie Morton, and there's every reason to believe he'll remain a serviceable starter heading into his age-29 season, albeit a fairly low-ceiling one for fantasy purposes given his consistently mediocre strikeout rates.
Yarbrough worked in the bulk role again in 2019, but early on, his season was disastrous. He was sent down to Triple-A after five appearances to begin the season with an 8.10 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. If it could have gone wrong for him in April, it did. He went down to Durham and tinkered with his approach, deciding to throw his below-average fastball less and add more cutters and sliders...and it worked! He was recalled May 23 and went 9-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 0.87 WHIP until hitting a wall in September where his numbers went back to their April form. Yarbrough is not a starter as he is ideally suited for the bulk role with this limited repertoire. When his command is on, he is excellent at inducing weak contact and generating infield popups and cans of corn to the outfield. He gets hurt when he fails to execute, so a misplaced fastball or a flat cutter becomes a rocket to or over the wall.
With the implementation of the opener in Major League Baseball also came the introduction of the primary pitcher. That was Yarbrough's primary role in 2018. He totaled 147.1 innings despite making just six starts in 38 appearances, and the results were relatively strong despite underwhelming peripherals. He didn't even crack 90 mph on average with his fastball, but his slider and cutter were effective enough against left-handed batters. It was a different story against right-handed hitters -- 10.1 K-BB%, .324 wOBA, 4.34 FIP. Further, Yarbrough's ERA jumped from 2.63 the first time through to 4.29 the second time through (as a reliever), which suggests that both Yarbrough and the team may be better off shortening him up. Factor in the caliber of the offenses in his own division and Yarbrough looks like a low-upside pitcher with the downside of a true middle reliever, so waiver-wire fodder in mixed leagues.
Yarbrough spent the majority of 2015 with High-A Bakersfield in the California League, where he finished with a 4-7 record and 3.76 ERA in 16 starts. He posted a 4.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .266 batting average against, and 1.28 WHIP. Part of his high batting average against can likely be explained by his .324 BABIP, which was much higher than the .266 BABIP he finished with in 2014. Yarbrough had a groin injury in June that sent him to the 7-day DL, but should be healthy to start 2016. Yarbrough's arsenal of pitches includes an average fastball and curveball to go along with an excellent change-up. He moved up from number 11 to number eight on the Mariners prospect rankings during 2015 and is estimated to make the MLB during 2016. Scouts believe has back-of-the-rotation potential, but will most likely end up in the bullpen long-term. If Yarbrough pitches well to start 2016, there is a good chance he could be called-up to the MLB at some point as a lefty reliever.
More Fantasy News
Sharp in bulk relief Sunday
PToronto Blue Jays  
September 23, 2024
Yarbrough came away with a no-decision in Sunday's loss to the Rays, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over four relief innings. He struck out five.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Set for bulk-relief role
PToronto Blue Jays  
September 22, 2024
Yarbrough is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Ryan Burr in Sunday's game against the Rays, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Nabs win in bulk relief
PToronto Blue Jays  
August 22, 2024
Yarbrough (5-2) earned the win over the Angels on Thursday, allowing three hits and striking out four batters over five scoreless innings in bulk relief.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Slated for bulk relief Thursday
PToronto Blue Jays  
August 22, 2024
Yarbrough is expected to be deployed as a bulk reliever in Thursday's game versus the Angels, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Works out of bullpen Sunday
PToronto Blue Jays  
August 4, 2024
Yarbrough retired all three batters he faced but was charged with a blown save in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Yankees.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Chance for bulk relief?
PLos Angeles Dodgers  
June 19, 2024
Yarbrough could be a candidate to pitch in bulk relief Friday against the Angels after manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that a new pitcher will be inserted into the rotation, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
ANALYSIS
The Dodgers got Bobby Miller back from a shoulder injury Wednesday, but the rotation is still shorthanded with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler going down with shoulder and hip injuries, respectively. Yarbrough hasn't actually made any starts this season, but he's worked in bulk relief a handful of times and has covered two-plus frames in 11 of his 20 appearances. Los Angeles could elect to promote a traditional starter for Friday, but Yarbrough's 3.04 ERA represents a solid alternative.
See All MLB Rumors