David Bednar Found His Way Out of Pittsburgh Traffic, and the Yankees Are Loving It

David Bednar is grateful to be a Yankee. But there's one thing about New York that's going to take some getting used to.

"I won't ever get used to it. I won't ever complain about Pittsburgh traffic ever again," Bednar said with a laugh. The commute to the Bronx is brutal enough that he's already planning his move: leave early, beat gridlock. That's the sacrifice you make when you go from the Pirates to the biggest stage in baseball.

From the Minors to Closing Games in New York

A year ago, Bednar was in a completely different spot. The Pirates optioned him to the Minors after three rough outings to start the 2025 season. Now he's trusted with the final outs in the game's biggest market. That's a massive swing.

"I've been fortunate to have some highs, but I've also been absolutely humbled and kicked in the teeth," he said. "To be able to come out of that, it's crazy to think it's almost a full calendar year. It's quite a whirlwind."

When Bednar got sent down, he could've spiraled. Instead, he made a choice: control what he could control. Every day in the Minors, even when he wasn't pitching, he was thinking about how to get better. That mentality matters.

Three Saves, Three Different Stories

On the Yankees' season-opening road trip against the Giants and the Mariners, Bednar locked down three saves. But they weren't all picture-perfect.

In San Francisco, he threw a shutout in the second game, pitching around a two-out walk. The next day he had to grind it out, putting the tying runs on the board before striking out a batter and inducing a double-play grounder. He even joked to teammate Paul Goldschmidt afterward: "Never a doubt."

"At the end of the day, it's about finding a way," Bednar said. "Everybody wants to go three up, three down, but sometimes it just doesn't fall that way. You want them all to be pretty, but when they're not, you've just got to bear down."

That's earned him the nickname "El Oso" , Spanish for "The Bear," something his teammates started calling him last season. Manager Aaron Boone gets it: "You know he's not going to flinch."

The Long Game

When the Yankees acquired Bednar from Pittsburgh at the Trade Deadline last July, he talked about chasing a playoff spot after years stuck with an also-ran team. Playing meaningful baseball down the stretch changed his perspective.

"That's what you do this for," he said. "It changed my perspective a little bit, making me a little hungrier. You do it for the guy next to you. You do it for the fans. That's what makes playing in New York so special."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.