Camilo Doval

Camilo Doval throws 100 mph and looks like he couldn't care less about the consequences. The right-hander came to the New York Yankees via trade from the San Francisco Giants, bringing a fastball that explodes out of his hand and a slider that makes hitters look like they've never held a bat before. In a bullpen loaded with arms, Doval might have the highest ceiling of any reliever on the roster -- when he's on, there isn't a hitter in baseball who wants to face him.

Path to the Bronx

Doval signed with the Giants as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2015 for a modest bonus. He wasn't a headliner -- just a skinny kid with a live arm and a lot of development ahead of him. San Francisco brought him along slowly through the lower minors, and the velocity kept climbing. By the time he reached the majors in 2021, the fastball was sitting 98-100 and the slider had turned into a legitimate out pitch.

He became the Giants' closer in 2022 and saved 27 games. In 2023, the numbers got even better -- 39 saves, a 2.93 ERA, and a strikeout rate that ranked among the best in the National League bullpen. Doval was an All-Star, and he looked like a cornerstone reliever for years to come.

Then 2024 got weird. Doval's command wavered, the walk rate spiked, and he lost the closer job for a stretch. The Giants, in the middle of a roster overhaul, decided to move him. The Yankees were happy to buy low on a 27-year-old with 100-mph heat and a track record of dominance. The trade went through in the offseason, sending a mid-level prospect to San Francisco for Doval.

Yankees Career

Doval slotted into the Yankees bullpen as a late-inning setup man, pitching the seventh and eighth innings and occasionally closing when David Bednar needed a day off. The results in 2025 were a mixed bag early on -- the stuff was electric, but the walks popped up in bunches. By the second half, though, Doval settled in and started looking like the guy who saved 39 games in San Francisco.

The 3.14 ERA doesn't tell the full story. When Doval was locked in -- and that was most of the second half -- he was freakin' unhittable. The fastball averaged 99.2 mph out of a deceptive delivery, and his slider sat 87-89 with late horizontal break. Hitters whiffed on 38% of their swings against him, which is absolutely bonkers. The issue was always control -- he'd cruise through two batters, then lose the zone for three pitches in a row and put a runner on. (It's maddening and thrilling at the same time, which is basically the Doval experience.)

Key Moments

The Stuff Is Stupid

There's no polite way to say it -- Doval's stuff is just stupid. A hundred miles an hour from the right side with a slider that moves like it hit a pothole. When both pitches are working, he's as dominant as any reliever in baseball. The problem has always been harnessing it. He'll throw three pitches that make you stand up and clap, then throw one into the backstop. That's the tradeoff with power arms -- you get the highs and the lows, and there's not much in between.

The Yankees are betting that their pitching infrastructure can smooth out the rough edges. If the coaching staff can get Doval's walk rate down even slightly -- from 4.5 per nine to, say, 3.5 -- you're looking at one of the best setup men in the American League. Pair him with Bednar in the eighth and ninth, and suddenly the game is only six innings long for opposing lineups.

When Doval jogs in from the pen and starts uncorking triple-digit heaters, the Stadium gets loud. That energy is real, and it matters. The command might never be perfect, but when you throw that hard with that much movement, perfect isn't a requirement. Close is enough.