Luke Weaver’s second act: from Yankees revelation to Mets’ two-year bet

Luke Weaver agreed to a two year, 22 million dollar contract with the New York Mets on December 17, 2025, according to multiple reports, the deal is pending a physical. The move follows a 2024 breakout in the Yankees bullpen, a 2025 season that began strong before a June hamstring strain, and a postseason that exposed new questions about his form and predictability.

From journeyman starter to Bronx closer

For much of his first eight big league seasons, Weaver was a starter with more promise than production, a former first round pick who bounced from St. Louis to Arizona, then to Kansas City and Cincinnati. Claimed by the Yankees in September 2023, he re signed for 2024 and shifted fully into relief. The role change unlocked a different pitcher. His average four seam velocity ticked up, his changeup gained depth, and his confidence in late inning traffic grew. He grabbed the ninth inning in September 2024, then carried that form into October, closing out series wins and stabilizing a bullpen that needed a finisher.

“I love what he’s doing,” manager Aaron Boone said late in 2024, praising both the stuff and the temperament.

What changed on the mound

• A tighter four seam release created more vertical ride, which played above barrels
• A harder, deeper changeup tunneled off the heater, producing more empty swings
• A simplified mix, mostly fastball and changeup, cut decision making and boosted conviction

The 2025 reality check

Weaver opened 2025 in a high leverage setup role, he briefly reclaimed closing duties when needed, then strained his left hamstring on June 1. Before the injury he was excellent, with a low ERA and eight saves. After returning later in June, his results were uneven, and in October he allowed five runs in three appearances. There were discussions around pitch tipping, a reminder that relief dominance can be fragile when tells creep in, or when the fastball life dips even slightly.

Why the Mets are betting on him

New York needs leverage outs, and Weaver’s two season resume as a reliever suggests a clear path:

• He has shown he can finish games in a large market, with noise and pressure
• His fastball changeup combo remains a tough look for both righties and lefties
• The cost and term fit a bullpen that is being rebuilt around multiple late inning options

Used in tandem with another established closer, Weaver can work the eighth or ninth, matching to lineups and rest patterns. If the Mets insulate him with depth, they can reduce the wear that seemed to show after his 2025 injury.

What the metrics say

Statcast shows the backbone of his reinvention, a rising four seamer around the mid 90s and a firm changeup that dives late. In 2024 and 2025, those two pitches made up the vast majority of his mix, and his whiff rates rose with the added separation and movement. The fastball’s vertical approach angle improved, the changeup’s depth increased, and hitters chased more often when the two pitches were sequenced.

Snapshot of the numbers

Numbers are regular season only.

The long road to New York

Drafted by St. Louis 27th overall in 2014, Weaver debuted in 2016 and flashed early strikeout potential. He was a headline piece in December 2018 when the Cardinals sent him to Arizona for Paul Goldschmidt. Injuries and inconsistency followed, including a 2021 shoulder strain and 2022 elbow troubles. A 2023 tour through Cincinnati and Seattle ended with a September claim by the Yankees, who saw a reliever’s toolkit in his arm slot and changeup feel.

Multiple viewpoints

• Optimists point to his 2024 dominance, his willingness to adapt, and the way his fastball and changeup play in short bursts
• Skeptics note the volatility of relievers, his 2025 hamstring issue, and the postseason stumble, which raised pitch tipping questions
• The middle view, he can be a quality leverage arm if usage is managed, the pitch shapes are maintained, and the Mets surround him with depth so he does not have to rescue every tight game

What success in Queens would look like

If Weaver holds the 2024 fastball life and keeps the deeper changeup, he profiles as a swing and miss eighth inning option who can close when matchups call for it. A healthy summer, cleaner tells, and a steady workload would make the two year bet pay off with high leverage consistency.

A quick note on name confusion

There is also a retired English football goalkeeper named Luke Weaver. The subject here is Luke Allen Weaver, born in 1993 in DeLand, Florida, a right handed pitcher who reached the majors with the Cardinals in 2016.