When he made his major league debut in 2018, Jonathan Loáisiga showed flashes of an electric arm that could be something if he ever could figure out the consistency thing. Flash forward seven years later,
and he never quite figured out that consistency thing.
A move to the bullpen proved out to be a good idea, and Loáisiga was excellent in a setup man role in 2021. However, every season since then, he was some combination of not as good and injured. That continued in 2025, and there’s a very good chance we’ve seen the last of him as a Yankee.
Grade: F
2025 Statistics: 30 games, 29.2 innings pitched, 4.25 ERA (97 ERA+), 5.83 FIP, 4.17 xFIP, 18.5 K%, 7.4 BB%, -0.5 fWAR
2026 Contract Status: Free agent, Yankees declined team option
After that breakout 2021, Loáisiga was limited to just 69.2 innings over the course of the 2022-24 seasons. In 2024, he went down with a torn UCL early in the season. While it didn’t require Tommy John surgery, he did have to undergo a different procedure that kept him out until 2025. After the season, the Yankees re-signed him to a contract for 2025 with an option for 2026, the hope being that if he could get fully healthy, he could get back to form, since he still showed flashes when he was on the mound.
Loáisiga finally returned to a major league mound in mid-May, and got off to a pretty decent start, posting a 1.59 ERA through his first six appearances. However, that came with a 3.84 FIP, as he also issued four walks and a hit-by-pitch in those innings. Regression then came hard, as he allowed two home runs in an inning of work against the Dodgers on June 1st. He generally treaded water after that, but his FIP always showed he was probably a bit worse than the raw numbers showed. A rough stretch in July ensured his ERA and numbers on the surface ended the season below average as well. His main problem on the season ended up being the long ball, as his 2.1 home runs per nine inning was the worst of his career.
In late August, Loáisiga ended up getting bit by the injury bug again, as he went down with a flexor strain. That knocked him out for the remainder of the season, as he played no part of the division race and playoff run. That being said, with the way he was pitching, it would’ve been tough to trust him with key innings anyway.
The Yankees brought Loáisiga back for 2025 and possibly 2026 with the hope that getting him healthy would allow him to get back to being the pitcher that he was. Over the course of the year, it started to seem like there’s a chance they’ll just never be able to get him fully healthy. Even if they can, he just might not be the same pitcher any more. His nearly 30 innings was his most since 2022, and he still posted his worst numbers in average exit velocity allowed and wOBA since he became a full time reliever. Loáisiga still had decent velocity on his fastball and sinker, but his swing and miss numbers on his other pitches fell, which allowed batters to tee off on those pitches.
Even with the bullpen struggles the Yankees went through in 2025, it was a bit of a no-brainer to decline Loáisiga’s option and allow him to become a free agent. Someone may take a chance on him at some point, but considering the many years they attempted to try and get things to work, it doesn’t seem likely that the Yankees will take that chance again soon.
