Aaron Boone Stands by Camilo Doval After Latest Rocky Outing: ‘Close to Being Dialed In’

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is publicly backing reliever Camilo Doval despite another shaky appearance that nearly cost his team a victory. Boone insisted the hard-throwing right-hander is “close to being dialed in,” even as Doval’s recent outings have raised concerns among fans and analysts about the stability of the Yankees’ late-inning bullpen mix.

The latest wobble from Doval underscored both the volatility and the upside that have defined his career. Once a cornerstone of the San Francisco Giants’ bullpen, Doval saved 39 games in 2023 and earned his first All-Star nod that same year with a fastball that regularly touches 100 mph and a devastating cutter-slider. By mid-2024, however, inconsistency and control issues led the Giants to option him to Triple-A — a striking fall for a pitcher who had been among the National League’s most dominant closers only a season earlier. His acquisition by the Yankees was viewed as a classic change-of-scenery gamble: a high-leverage arm with closer-caliber stuff whose mechanics and confidence might be rebuilt in a new environment.

Boone’s public patience reflects a broader philosophy that has characterized his tenure in the Bronx. The manager has frequently leaned on process-based evaluations — pitch shape, velocity, movement profiles — rather than raw outcomes when defending struggling relievers. That approach has drawn both praise and criticism over the years, particularly during postseason runs when short bullpen leashes tend to become decisive. Saying Doval is “close to being dialed in” suggests Boone sees encouraging underlying metrics, even if the bottom-line results have been uneven.

Looking ahead, how Doval performs in the coming weeks will be closely watched. The Yankees entered the season as American League East contenders, and bullpen reliability historically correlates strongly with October success. If Doval can rediscover the command that made him elite in 2022 and 2023 — when he posted sub-3.00 ERAs in both seasons — the Yankees may possess one of the deepest relief corps in baseball. If the struggles persist, Boone’s faith may eventually give way to a reshuffling of late-inning responsibilities, particularly as trade deadline acquisitions come into focus.