The Yankees didn’t expect to lean this heavily on Will Warren to start the 2025 season, but circumstances have a way of rewriting the script.
With Gerrit Cole lost for the year, Luis Gil sidelined for at least three months, and Clarke Schmidt opening the season on the injured list, the Yankees turned to Warren and veteran Carlos Carrasco to help plug the gaps.
Warren’s emergence was a silver lining this spring—at least at first.
A Spring of Highs and Lows
Warren, 25, came into camp and immediately impressed with his electric stuff, relying on a lively fastball and a nasty sweeper to overwhelm hitters. Early in the spring, he looked like a pitcher on the rise, earning praise for his ability to keep the ball on the ground and work deep into counts without losing composure.
But things started to shift over his final few starts, culminating in a tough outing Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. Over just 3.2 innings, Warren gave up four earned runs on five hits, including two home runs. He walked two but managed to strike out six.
That appearance pushed his spring ERA to 5.09—not exactly the exclamation point he was hoping to end with.
Missed Spots and Mechanical Questions
The damage on Tuesday came off pitches that simply didn’t execute. The first long ball was a sweeper that hung center-cut. The second, a curveball that never dove, sat up for the taking. Those are the kinds of mistakes that get punished quickly in the big leagues, and Warren knows it.
It’s possible he was working on specific locations or tinkering with mechanics, but that margin for error narrows when you’re penciled in as a regular starter. What made him so effective earlier in the spring—dotting fastballs at the top of the zone and using his breaking stuff to create deception—looked a bit out of sync.
The movement is still there, but it’s not quite as sharp. Command will be the key.
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What Comes Next
Warren will begin the season as the Yankees’ fifth starter, and the leash is likely long enough for him to get a fair shot. But once Clarke Schmidt is healthy and ready to return, the Yankees may opt to send Warren back to Triple-A for more development—especially if Carrasco continues to eat innings.
For now, he’s got a big opportunity, and while his spring ended on a sour note, the Yankees still believe in his upside.
Warren’s journey through the rotation begins Thursday. The pressure is real, but so is the potential.