Dellin Betances’ best moments with the Yankees

Dellin Betances signed with a New York team on Wednesday, but it wasn’t the Yankees. He inked a one-year deal with the crosstown rival Mets after an injury-riddled 2019 season. He was one of the greatest relievers the Yankees had over the past decade, so it’s only right to pay homage to him and relive his best moments in the Bronx.

Betances works out of trouble against A’s in Wild Card Game

This is the most recent one and was one of his clutchest moments in pinstripes. After Luis Severino put two men on with no one out in the fifth inning of the 2018 Wild Card Game, Betances entered to put a halt to Oakland’s threat. He did just that by getting Matt Chapman to fly out to right, Jed Lowrie to pop out to center, and finished the job by getting 2018 home run champion Khris Davis to strike out swinging to escape the jam and preserve the Yankees’ two-run lead. Betances didn’t stop there though. He came out for the sixth and worked a 1-2-3 inning, including two strikeouts.

Dellin Betances becomes the first relief pitcher to record 100 or more strikeouts in five consecutive seasons

Striking out over 100 batters in five straight seasons was something no reliever had ever done before, until Betances. From 2014-2018, he was a strikeout machine. He was reliable and whenever he entered from the bullpen, Yankees fans felt confident he’d get the job done. Though, he did like to make things “exciting” at times by working in and out of jams. While he only recorded two outs in 2019, it seems pretty fitting that both of those outs were via the strikeout.

Betances strikes out the side for an immaculate inning

In early August of 2017, the Yankees were playing the Detroit Tigers. New York was down 2-0 heading into the eighth inning, so they called on Dellin Betances to keep the deficit at two. He did that and more by striking out all three batters he faced that inning and all on three pitches. He became just the 87th pitcher in MLB history achieve such a feat.

Betances shines in 2016 All-Star Game

Entering for the American League in the top of the seventh, Betances had the task of facing Corey Seager, Daniel Murphy, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Murphy was able to reach base, but he got both Seager and Arenado to strike out swinging on triple-digit fastballs and Goldschmidt flew out to center. It was a terrific showing by the Yankee reliever. This was his third All-Star Game out of his four total.

Betances escapes jam against Mets, fans six in a row

2014 was Betances’ first full season in the majors. In 90 innings he pitched to a 1.40 ERA, with 135 strikeouts and a 0.78 WHIP, all of which are still career-bests. In May of that season, the Yankees squared-off against the Mets in the Subway Series. With runners on second and third and two out in the fifth, Joe Girardi brought Betances into the ballgame. He got his first assignment, Eric Young Jr., to ground out to end the threat, and the inning. Betances then dazzled in the sixth and seventh by striking out six Mets in a row. Some of the names he rung up include David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Daniel Murphy.

Betances will be missed by Yankees fans, but we wish him the best of luck in Queens. The Mets are not only getting a great pitcher, but an even better person. Thanks for the memories, Dellin.