There wasn’t any expectation of Will Warren securing a major-league rotation spot when the Yankees opened camp just over a month ago, but opportunity unexpectedly knocked, and the young right-hander answered.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed on Sunday that Warren, the club’s fifth-overall prospect, made the Opening Day roster and is scheduled to start on April 1 when the Arizona Diamondbacks arrive in the Bronx for a three-game set.
While the 25-year-old largely earned his new role during Grapefruit League action, the Yankees weren’t exactly in a position to look elsewhere for internal options. They’re entering the 2025 season with long-term injuries to Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (lat strain), plus Clarke Schmidt (shoulder fatigue) is beginning the campaign on the injured list.
Warren spent the offseason reincorporating a curveball to his arsenal and adjusting his changeup grip, and the hard work clearly paid off. In his first five spring appearances (four starts), he posted a laudable 2.87 ERA across 15.2 innings, limiting opponents to five earned runs and nine hits. He also struck out 16 batters.
There wasn’t much to praise in his sixth spring performance, however. He was roughed up against the Baltimore Orioles on March 23, as he allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks across 3.2 innings (74 pitches). In spite of heavy winds in Sarasota that night, he fell behind some hitters and gave up plenty of hard contact.
Despite the Yankees’ slew of injuries, Warren still needs to prove his worth as a long-term rotation fixture. After making 23 starts in Triple-A last season, he made his MLB debut on July 30 and logged a bloated 10.32 ERA with 29 strikeouts across 22.2 major-league innings (six games). Suffice to say there’s a chip on his shoulder.
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