The secret to Yennier Cano’s success this season isn’t found just in the way he throws a split-finger fastball, though that’s vital.
According to the 32-year-old Cuban right-hander, it might come from throwing another type of ball.
Cano was an unexpected All-Star for the Orioles in 2023 when he and Félix Bautista were a lethal weapon. Cano had a 2.11 ERA and eight saves.
He wasn’t as good in 2024 when his ERA rose to 3.15, and last season, he had a 5.12 ERA, which earned him a trip back to Triple-A Norfolk. Cano knew he had to do something to return to dominance.
“In 2023, I was throwing a lot with the softball for a relatively long distance,” Cano said through team translator Brandon Quinones. “I went away from that for the last few years. I went back to it this past offseason since it worked so well for me in ’23. I did that and worked on straightening my lower back, getting my body right and trying to get strong physically. So far it’s been pretty good.”
It’s been better than pretty good. Cano did allow a run on Tuesday night, hitting Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz with a pitch and watched as Richie Palacios doubled against Rico Garcia.
It was the first run allowed by Cano since April 22nd. He’d gone 10 straight outings without a run, and his ERA is still only 1.42. Opponents are hitting .113 against him.
Bullpen coach Hank Conger saw Cano as a young reliever with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 before he was traded to the Orioles as the key piece in a trade for All-Star closer Jorgé López.
“I’ve seen him in Minnesota as he’s evolved as a pitcher,” Conger said. “The first thing that stands out is the splitter. The splitter and split usage has been kind of a game changer for him, especially against left-handed hitters.”
Conger wasn’t aware of Cano using a softball to train, but doesn’t discount it.
“This being my first year in the bullpen, but working with pitchers before, there are so many different things now,” he said. “Whether it’s like a velo belt or somebody wants to use a towel drill or a softball, it’s something that mentally gets guys prepared or just gives them a certain kind of mental cue to be like, ‘Hey I need to stay on top of a slider.’
“I truly believe that whatever helps with just whatever cue they need, I’m all for it.”
Last year, Cano spent 10 days at Triple-A Norfolk, which was jarring.
“I’m not going to lie,” Cano said. “It was difficult at the start. I didn’t really understand it when it happened, but over time, speaking with my agents, with my wife, I got to understand a little bit more of the reason behind it and was OK with it. Honestly, it was good to go down and refresh my mind and reset before I came back up.”
The softball and better training has made Cano, who’s one of the most upbeat personalities in the clubhouse, even happier.
“I think last year I couldn’t throw some pitches the way I wanted to,” he said. “I was having problems. I was having problems locating some of those pitches. This year, my sinker is working really well down in the zone. My splitter, which was a relatively new pitch, has been working really well for me. I’m feeling really good physically, and that’s allowed me to do some of those things.”
Adley Rutschman, who’s caught Cano more than anyone, appreciates the 2026 Cano.
“He’s a phenomenal pitcher,” Rutschman said. “From what I’ve seen from him this year, the guy looks really good. The location, the movement, everything seems elite.”
The numbers say that Cano is pitching brilliantly, and so do Rutschman’s eyes.
“We have a lot of data just from the pitching side. I haven’t really seen it, but I know they have a lot of stuff,” he said.
“From a catching standpoint and a feel standpoint, it feels like the location standpoint feels really good. He feels like he’s living in that bottom part of the zone. He’s doing a good job playing pitches off of the bottom just between the two-seam and the splitter. Looks like the movement is there. When I see that from him, it always seems like those results are really good.”
Samuel Basallo caught Cano during his time at Norfolk and later with the Orioles in 2025. He’s found a better Cano, too.
“Being sent down is a hard hit for anyone,” Basallo said through Quinones. “I would say for him especially him after having been to the All-Star Game, being sent down after having a rough start to last season. It’s great to see him return so far this year. He’s looking back to form and being the Cano that we all know he can be.”
Manager Craig Albernaz has gotten the good version of Cano, whom he’s used in innings 4-9.
“He has elite stuff,” Albernaz said. “The split’s a real weapon. He throws it 92 miles an hour, 93 miles an hour with 15 inches of horizontal. The sinker’s been gross. The four-seam has been a great addition.
“Last year, Cano didn’t have the year he wanted. You always bank on the person and the talent, and he has both of those things, and that’s what we’re seeing right now.”
While the season has been an excellent one for Cano, there’s something missing: Bautista, with whom he’d become close. Bautista had rotator cuff and labrum surgery in August 2025 and hopes to return late this season.
Cano is one of just a few Spanish speakers on the team, and he badly misses him.
“It’s been hard,” he said. “We were brothers out there in the bullpen. I haven’t been able to have a brother like he was for me in the bullpen yet. I’m hoping that he comes back stronger than ever before and hoping that I’ll be here for his return as well. It will be exciting.”
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