The Yankees had hoped Luke Weaver’s September struggles were just a blip before the playoffs. But Monday night in Minnesota, that hope took another hit in a rare 7-0 shutout loss to the Twins at Target Field.

Weaver was tagged for five earned runs while recording just one out in the seventh inning. His September ERA has ballooned to 13.50 over his last five outings. That’s a stark contrast with the 1.23 ERA he posted in 13 appearances in August.

What makes the slide all the more alarming is how crucial Weaver was last October.

 In the 2024 postseason, he was one of New York’s most trusted relievers. Over 12 appearances, he went 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA, struck out 16, and picked up four saves. Across his 84-inning, 62-appearance 2024 regular season, he finished with a 2.89 ERA, 103 strikeouts, and just 26 walks. 

FanGraphs and Baseball Savant data show some encouraging underpinnings even this season. His velocity remains solid, his strikeout per nine in some stretches remains good, and many of his advanced metrics suggest some bad luck in tight spots.

But the splits reveal a concerning pattern. Right‐handed batters are having more success against him, especially on the road and in high-leverage situations, where his ERA is over 5.00.

Weaver’s role last postseason as closer and setup man in pivotal moments is why this is so concerning. The Yankees’ bullpen is far from settled with just two weeks left in the season.

Boone leaned on Weaver when the lights were brightest and Clay Holmes was shaky last year. Weaver delivered then. But now with command issues, hard contact, and walks, do the Yankees trust him in the postseason?

With October looming, the Yankees don’t have excess margin for error in their bullpen.

 If Weaver can’t rebound quickly, his proven postseason work may not be enough to guarantee a late-inning role. His performance in games like last night in Minnesota will factor heavily into who New York trusts when the stakes are highest.