With Marcus Stroman likely on his way out via trade, the Yankees are going to need a reliable sixth starter to help bridge the inevitable gaps in their rotation. Enter Will Warren, the 25-year-old right-hander who got his first taste of big-league action in 2024. While his initial numbers weren’t pretty—posting a bloated 10.32 ERA over 22.2 innings—there’s far more to his story than just the surface-level struggles.
The Underlying Numbers Show Promise
Warren’s debut may have looked rough, but his 4.52 expected ERA suggests he wasn’t quite as bad as his results showed. He struck out an impressive 11.51 batters per nine innings, flashing the ability to miss bats at a high level. The issue? Too many free passes and home runs. He walked 3.97 batters per nine and allowed nearly two homers per nine innings, which are obvious areas that need cleaning up.
Historically, Warren has been an excellent ground ball pitcher, keeping the ball on the dirt 48.1% of the time in Triple-A last season. However, that number plummeted to 36.2% in the majors, which could be a major factor in why he struggled. If he can regain his ability to induce grounders, it will go a long way in stabilizing his performances at the next level.
Warren’s Pitch Mix and What Needs Work
The right-hander features a solid four-pitch mix: a four-seam fastball, sweeper, sinker, and changeup. His fastball was his best pitch last season, holding opponents to a microscopic .074 batting average and a .222 slugging percentage. That’s an elite-level fastball, but his secondary pitches didn’t hold up nearly as well. His sinker was getting crushed, and his sweeper wasn’t much better.
The key for Warren’s development will be fine-tuning his breaking pitches. If he can sharpen the shape of his sweeper and locate it more efficiently, he has the potential to be a valuable depth starter for the Yankees. With an encouraging fastball already in place, a few mechanical tweaks could push him into a reliable role as a swingman who can eat innings and provide coverage when injuries inevitably arise.
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The Yankees’ Best Option for Internal Rotation Depth
There’s no question that the Yankees are trying to build one of the most dominant rotations in baseball, but they’ll need depth to survive the long haul of a season. If Warren can take a step forward in his development, he could be a major asset—whether it’s as an injury replacement or as a spot starter to manage workloads. For a team looking to get below the luxury tax threshold, trusting in a homegrown arm like Warren might be their best bet.