Want to see a lefty starter hurling triple-digit fastballs in a clash of two top contenders? Just tune into Monday night’s game between the Yankees and Mariners in Seattle (9:40 p.m. ET).
Southpaw Ryan Weathers is set to make his debut on the mound for the Yankees, who acquired him from the Marlins in January for four Minor Leaguers. There’s a good reason New York was willing to part with three of its Top 30 prospects for Weathers, who could be one of the 2026 season’s biggest breakout arms.
Among left-handed starters, Weathers’ velocity is surpassed by only two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. In his first Spring Training with the Yankees, Weathers threw 23 pitches at 99+ mph and reached triple digits twice, topping out at 101 mph. Few starters can do that -- lefties OR righties -- and it gives Weathers plenty of potential.
The 26-year-old has shown flashes of that promise in the past two seasons, posting a 3.74 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 125 innings across 24 starts for Miami in that span. He only made eight starts in 2025, though, due to a flexor strain suffered in Spring Training and a left lat strain suffered during the regular season.
Still, the Yankees believed enough in Weathers’ arsenal -- which also features a changeup, sweeper, slider and sinker -- to acquire him. While Weathers struggled during Spring Training with a 8.83 ERA in five outings, he struck out 21 in just 17 1/3 innings of work.
He faces a tough task in his first start for the Yankees, going up against a Mariners lineup led by 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh and star outfielder Julio Rodríguez. With two of the favorites for this year’s AL pennant squaring off, Weathers’ first start in pinstripes will be a must-watch game.