The New York Yankees entered the season knowing they’d be without Gerrit Cole, the ace of their staff, for the entire year.
Tommy John surgery took him off the mound, forcing the Yankees to lean on unproven arms and creative rotation depth.
That’s where 25-year-old Will Warren comes in — a prospect with upside, flashes of dominance, and still plenty to learn.
He’s been asked to punch above his weight in Cole’s absence, and at times, he’s looked capable of taking that step.
Other times, it’s been a reminder of how difficult it is to stick in the big leagues without polish and command.
Warren’s stuff is electric — the numbers back it up
Warren’s 5.34 ERA over 13 starts doesn’t jump off the page, but the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story.
He’s racked up 75 strikeouts across 57.1 innings — a 29.7% strikeout rate that ranks in the 88th percentile leaguewide.
He’s also generating a ton of whiffs, ranking in the 77th percentile in whiff rate — proof that his pitches are nasty.
But when hitters do connect, the contact is loud — a 50.4% hard-hit rate and 10.2% barrel rate are both problematic.
Warren isn’t getting shelled every outing, but his margin for error is razor-thin when command starts to waver.
Friday’s outing showed both promise and concern
Against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, Warren delivered a tale of two outings in just one appearance.
For the first few innings, he kept hitters off balance, mixing pitches and attacking the zone with purpose and energy.
Then the fifth inning arrived — and suddenly, command vanished. He walked three batters and gave up three earned runs.
He was pulled after 5.1 innings, having surrendered four runs and four walks on the day — a frustrating unravel.
It felt eerily familiar to Carlos Rodón’s past struggles, where fatigue or pressure caused late-game collapses despite strong starts.
Confidence and consistency are Warren’s next steps
The tools are all there for Will Warren to succeed — his strikeout rate and movement profile put him in elite territory.
What he’s missing isn’t velocity or movement — it’s trust in himself when things start to slip in the later innings.
Pitching in the majors is like balancing on a tightrope in a windstorm — one bad gust can change everything fast.
For Warren, learning how to navigate those moments without spiraling is the difference between surviving and thriving in the rotation.
Fortunately for the Yankees, he’s their number five starter, and they can live with growing pains while he learns on the fly.
There’s still real belief in his long-term value with the Yankees
Despite the bumpy moments, the Yankees remain committed to giving Warren runway to figure things out at the highest level.
The upside is there — if he can learn to induce weak contact and stay calm late in starts, he’ll stick.
And with an offense that continues to put up runs, the Yankees can afford some volatility at the back of the rotation.
The key now is building confidence — and hoping the next time he reaches the fifth inning, the wheels don’t come off.
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