The New York Yankees might have uncovered a gem in 26-year-old right-hander Will Warren, who’s blossoming into a force this season.
Warren’s story is easy to root for, especially considering how tough his MLB introduction was during last year’s rocky debut.
In 2024, he was rocked to the tune of a 10.32 ERA over his first 22.2 big-league innings, leaving fans questioning his long-term upside.
But pitching is often a test of resilience, and Warren is proving that growth isn’t always linear — it sometimes looks like a messy scribble.
Warren’s turnaround is gaining serious traction
This season, Warren has settled into a groove, carrying a 4.37 ERA over 80.1 innings with a stellar 103 strikeouts to his name.
That strikeout total ranks him in the 88th percentile across baseball, showcasing his swing-and-miss stuff that’s only gaining sharper edges.
In June, Warren’s confidence has taken a noticeable leap, evident in his 2.86 ERA across 28.1 innings this month alone.
Facing the Oakland Athletics on Friday, Warren allowed just two hits and struck out seven over five strong frames before handing it off.
It’s clear he’s starting to trust his stuff more, working through jams and limiting damage in ways he couldn’t last season.
His fastball is leading the charge
What’s helped Warren flip the script is a dominant four-seam fastball that’s become the backbone of his arsenal.
Hitters are batting just .182 against it, managing only a .291 slugging percentage, making it one of the more underrated pitches on the team.
While his secondary offerings have shown inconsistency, they’re trending in the right direction and complement his heater when he locates well.
Pitching, much like cooking, is often about that perfect blend — and Warren’s starting to mix his ingredients with more precision.
If he can continue refining his slider and changeup, his potential jumps from mid-rotation arm to something even more tantalizing.
Why Warren’s growth is so important for the Yankees
For a Yankees team eyeing a deep October run, internal pitching development is critical, especially given the heavy investments elsewhere on the roster.
Warren gaining this kind of experience and confidence during the summer could pay massive dividends when the games matter most.
Not every start will be sparkling, but his resilience on the mound is becoming more obvious — and that’s arguably more important long term.
The Yankees have always chased big-name arms, but seeing someone like Warren climb from a brutal rookie line to meaningful contributor is refreshing.
He’s gone from looking overwhelmed to pitching with a calm, almost surgical focus, which speaks volumes about his mental growth.
- Yankees 3, Athletics 0: Good news and bad news after brilliant pitching performance leads to shutout win
- Yankees star prospect goes yard in first Triple-A plate appearance
- Yankees rehabbing veteran could be in contention to start on Sunday
Building momentum at the perfect time
The Yankees can only hope Warren keeps building on these positive outings as they push deeper into the season.
They’ll need all the arms they can get if they’re serious about making noise in October, and Warren could be an unexpected X-factor — even if it means coming out of the bullpen.
With a few more months of growth, there’s a chance we look back at June as the turning point when Will Warren truly arrived.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();