Alexander Wilson
Aaron Boone called him the “non-talked-about guy” in the rotation a few days ago. It was meant as a compliment, and it landed that way. While everyone spent March debating Luis Gil’s command, fretting over Gerrit Cole’s timeline, and watching Carlos Lagrange’s fastball hit the radar gun, Will Warren went out every five days and gave the New York Yankees exactly what they needed. Nobody noticed because there was never anything to worry about.
Sunday’s final spring start against the Phillies was the punctuation mark. Five innings, one hit, zero runs, six strikeouts, zero walks against a lineup that includes Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Alec Bohm. His spring ERA finished at 1.42 over 25.1 innings. Only a small number of walks all spring. For context on how much his profile has grown, consider that last season he walked 3.60 batters per nine across 162.1 innings as a rookie. That number is not small. In 2026, it is effectively one per nine innings through the spring.
What the Numbers Actually Show
The Phillies’ outing was the clearest single-game snapshot of what Warren has become. He threw 62 pitches across five innings, and every pitch in his arsenal graded out above average or better. His four-seamer sat at 94.4 mph with a proStuff+ of 107, generating a 23.1% whiff rate and a positive run value of +3.1 per 100 pitches. His sweeper was even better, carrying a 106 proStuff+ with a 50% whiff rate. The curveball graded at 109 proStuff+, the highest individual pitch grade on the card. His overall proStuff+ for the outing checked in at 104 with a 30.8% whiff rate.
What stands out beyond the individual pitch grades is the sequencing. Warren threw the four-seamer 46.8% of the time and mixed in the sweeper at 22.6%, the sinker at 16.1%, and the curveball at 8.1%. He is not relying on any single weapon. He is building at-bats, rotating pitches, and keeping hitters from sitting on anything. That is a different pitcher than the one who gave up hard contact too frequently as a rookie.
The Bigger Picture
Last season was a genuine growing experience. Warren made 33 starts and threw 162.1 innings, numbers that reflected the Yankees’ need more than his readiness. The 4.44 ERA was not a disaster for a pitcher learning on the job, but his 69.8% left-on-base rate and 42.1% ground ball rate told you there was room to improve. Hitters made too much hard contact. The walk rate was manageable but not sharp.
He spent the offseason working to fix those things, and this spring the work has shown up in real results. Boone noticed. “He was real efficient, another good one,” the manager said in an earlier assessment. “I think he’s been steady. He’s taken his share of lumps along the way, but I feel he’s learned a ton, he’s grown a ton, learned how to slow the game down while also physically developing his craft.”
Warren himself has made clear what he wants from this season. “I made 33 starts last year, so I wanna go try to repeat that and get as close to 200 innings as I can,” he said. That is not a cautious goal. That is a pitcher who believes in himself and understands his value to this team.
Why He Matters More Than People Think
I have said it before, and the rotation preview we put together ahead of Opening Day makes it clear: the Yankees are asking a lot of the pitchers who will hold things down through April and into May while Cole and Rodon work their way back. Max Fried is the anchor, but he cannot carry this rotation alone. Cam Schlittler has upside and Ryan Weathers has tools, but both come with uncertainty baked in.
Warren is the one I trust most right now to go out every five days and give this team a chance to win. Not because he is the most talented arm in the group, but because the spring has made a convincing case that he is the most prepared.
Boone has a deeper rotation coming. Between now and June, the steadiest hand in it is the one nobody is talking about.
More about:New York Yankees
