| Year | Team | G | IP | ERA | K | SV | WHIP | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | SD | 60 | 60.2 | 1.19 | 101 | 41 | 0.84 | 15.0 |
| 2022 | TOR | 62 | 57.0 | 2.21 | 70 | 3 | 1.04 | 11.1 |
| 2023 | TEX | 61 | 58.1 | 2.93 | 57 | 4 | 1.10 | 8.8 |
| 2024 | ATL | 58 | 58.0 | 2.48 | 63 | 12 | 1.21 | 9.8 |
| 2025 | ATL/LAA | 47 | 48.2 | 3.33 | 53 | 8 | 1.21 | 9.8 |
| 2026 ST | LAA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
38 Years Old. Has Been Here Before. Ready Again.
Kirby Yates saved 41 games for the 2019 Padres and posted a 1.19 ERA — one of the most dominant closer seasons in recent memory. He has been recovering from surgeries and pitching in shorter roles ever since, but the results have stayed respectable: sub-3.00 ERA in three of the last four seasons.
The role here is clear: bridge closer until Ben Joyce is healthy enough to take the 9th inning. Yates has the experience to handle that assignment — he has closed before, he knows what the role asks of a pitcher's mental game, and he is reuniting with pitching coach Mike Maddux, who coached him during some of his best years.
His spring debut — 1 clean inning vs San Francisco on Feb 24 — was exactly what you want to see from a veteran reliever in the first outing of camp. Stuff still plays, command was there, no drama. At $5M on a one-year deal, the risk is minimal and the experience is real.