Zack Britton was a P who played for the New York Yankees from 2018-2022. Career stats: 35-26 record, 154 saves. Part of the Judge Era (2017--Present) era.
Zack Britton showed up on July 24, 2018 as the missing sinkerballer in a New York Yankees bullpen that already had plenty of arms who threw hard. What it didn't have was a guy who could get a ground ball on command when a strikeout wasn't available. Britton spent four and a half seasons in the Bronx doing exactly that (when his elbow let him), and he left as one of the more reliable relief arms the Yankees had in the post-Mo era. Not the flashiest. Just steady, when healthy.
The Deadline Deal
Baltimore was blowing it up. The Orioles had shipped Manny Machado to the Dodgers a week earlier, and now they were moving their closer too. The Yankees sent three arms nobody outside Baltimore was tracking closely -- Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, Cody Carroll -- and got back a lefty with a sinker that made hitters look like they were topping a bowling ball. He wasn't the closer in New York. Aroldis Chapman had that job locked down. Britton became the setup guy, and a good one, closing out the final outs alongside Chapman in Game 4 of that October's ALDS loss to Boston (the Yankees' only win of that series, for what it's worth).
That January, the Yankees signed him to stick around: three years, $39 million, with a club option that got exercised in 2022 instead of letting him walk. Brian Cashman clearly liked what he saw in the second half of 2018. He wasn't wrong -- not immediately, anyway.
| Yankees Seasons | 2018-2022 (5, injury-shortened 3 of 5) |
| 2019 (Best Yankees Year) | 3-1, 1.91 ERA, 61.1 IP, 53 K, 66 G |
| 2020 (Emergency Closer) | 8 SV, 1.89 ERA, 20 G |
| Yankees Postseason | 13.2 IP, 3.18 ERA, 15 G (2018-2020) |
| Career Totals (12 MLB seasons) | 154 SV, 3.13 ERA, 35-26, 532 K |
| All-Star Seasons | 2015, 2016 (both with Baltimore) |
The Best Version of Him in Pinstripes
2019 was the peak. A 1.91 ERA across 66 appearances, setting up for Chapman and getting the ball in nearly every big jam the Yankees found themselves in that year, including a 6.1-inning, seven-appearance run through the 2019 ALDS and the ALCS against Houston. He wasn't closing games -- he had 3 saves that season, not the AL saves crown some memories (and, frankly, some bad internet research) attach to his Yankees tenure. That title belongs to his 2016 season in Baltimore, when he went a perfect 47-for-47 in save chances with a 0.54 ERA. Different team, different life.
Then 2020 happened, and Chapman tested positive for COVID-19 twelve days before Opening Day, and suddenly Britton was the Yankees' closer by default. He ran with it -- 8 saves, a 1.89 ERA in the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. It's the closest thing to a signature stat line he has as a Yankee, and it happened because the guy ahead of him got sick. (Baseball is a freakin' weird sport like that.)
The Injuries Took the Rest
2021 was a mess before it ever really started -- bone chips, a hamstring strain, elbow inflammation that ended in Tommy John surgery that September. He came back in 2022 for exactly three big-league appearances, walked six batters in two-thirds of an inning, and shut it down again with more elbow soreness. His final MLB outing, fittingly or cruelly depending on how you look at it, came against the Orioles.
Traded from Baltimore
Yankees acquire Britton, a week ahead of the deadline, for Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, and Cody Carroll as the rebuilding Orioles sell off veterans.
Signs Three-Year Extension
Britton re-signs with New York for three years and $39 million, with a club option that ultimately keeps him in pinstripes through 2022.
Becomes Opening Day Closer
With Chapman on the COVID-19 injured list, Britton takes over as the Yankees' closer to open the shortened 2020 season.
Tommy John Surgery
After a season derailed by bone chips, a hamstring strain, and elbow inflammation, Britton undergoes Tommy John surgery, ending his 2021 season.
Final MLB Appearance
Britton pitches his last big-league game, fittingly against the Orioles, before elbow discomfort ends his comeback.
He didn't pitch in 2023, and that November he told The Athletic he was calling it a career -- twelve seasons, 154 saves, two All-Star teams, all of it earned with a sinker that made grounders look inevitable. He never got a ring in New York. He also never once looked like he didn't belong there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Zack Britton lead the AL in saves in 2019?
No. Britton had just 3 saves in 2019, working as Aroldis Chapman's setup man for the Yankees. His AL/MLB saves title came in 2016 with Baltimore, when he went a perfect 47-for-47.
How did Zack Britton end up with the Yankees?
New York traded for him on July 24, 2018, about a week ahead of the deadline, sending pitching prospects Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, and Cody Carroll to a rebuilding Baltimore team that had just also dealt Manny Machado.
What injury ended Zack Britton's 2021 season?
Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, performed September 8, 2021, after a year already disrupted by bone chips and a hamstring strain. It's an elbow injury, not an Achilles injury.
Why did the Yankees closer job go to Zack Britton in 2020?
Aroldis Chapman tested positive for COVID-19 twelve days before Opening Day, and Britton took over as closer to start the shortened 60-game season, saving 8 games with a 1.89 ERA.
That's Zack Britton's Yankees story in one image: the sinker was always there, the results were always solid when his elbow cooperated, and the ending -- three shaky innings and out -- was a lot quieter than the four-plus years that came before it deserved.