Tim Hill is the Epitome of Matt Blake's Leadership as Yankees' Pitching Coach

Tim Hill has exceeded expectations in a Yankees uniform.

Everyone on the field, including the opponent, knows what pitch he will throw before he throws it. In 2025, he’s thrown his sinker at an 84 percent usage rate. Eighty-four percent!

Hill’s quirky delivery from the left side creates many problems for hitters. I can’t imagine it’s easy to see the ball out of his hand, and he keeps the ball below the strike zone, resulting in a ridiculous 85.7 percent ground ball rate, which places him in the 100th percentile among qualified MLB pitchers.

Matt Blake, the Yankees’ pitching coach, does not receive nearly enough credit for his ability to work with overlooked pitchers and help them find their niche and what works best for them. Hill is the perfect example of Blake showcasing his brain power and using valuable data to create absolute chaos for opposing hitters.

Hill is that chaos.

Hill was released by the Chicago White Sox last June, and despite them losing 121 games in 2024, they still probably view that move as a mistake.

There’s no secret with Hill, and the fact that he looks like he strolled out of the bullpen after smoking a pack of Marlboros makes everything about his success that much more fun to watch.

Hill barely strikes out anyone, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Chances are, the 35-year-old will keep throwing that dang sinker, and there’s nothing they can do about it except hit it into the dirt.

I look forward to watching Hill strut out of the bullpen and do that little hop he does after delivering a pitch, and I doubt that’ll ever stop, even years after he’s thrown his last pitch for the Yankees.

Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

More to come!