New York Yankees Prospect Puts Will Warren, Luis Gil on Notice

New York Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez made his Spring Training debut on Friday afternoon, tossing three innings of scoreless ball in a 2-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Rodriguez allowed three hits while striking out one and employed a mix of pitches in the outing, but he definitely featured his sinker heavily.

Obviously, it was an exhibition, so the fact that Rodriguez only threw one four-seam fastball on the afternoon probably shouldn't be weighed too heavily.

But it should be noted that unlike fellow top prospect Carlos Lagrange, Rodriguez isn't a flamethrower. Yes, he racked up 176 strikeouts over 150 innings in 27 minor-league appearances (26 starts) in 2025, but he is more likely to paint the corners and keep hitters off balance rather than just throw it by them.

This works to Rodriguez's benefit, however. While Lagrange has some pretty glaring command issues, Rodriguez has far superior control, and it could result in the 22-year-old fast-tracking to the big leagues in 2026.

That means Will Warren and Luis Gil should already be on notice.

Warren made 33 starts last season and was a mostly dependable arm for the Yankees, but he certainly wasn't spectacular, and he struggled against top competition.

Gil made just 11 regular-season starts due to a lat injury that kept him sidelined for the first several months, and while his 3.32 ERA looked good, his peripherals (like his 6.5 K/9 and 1.24 K/BB ratio) were not. He also had an alarming dip in velocity.

New York has Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon returning from respective surgeries this year, with both right-handers due back over the first couple of months. So, yeah: the Yankees' starting rotation could end up pretty crowded, especially after the addition of Ryan Weathers.

But let's say Warren or Gil (or both) struggle early on in the year while Cole and Rodon are still rehabbing. There definitely exists a world in which Rodriguez could get called up to the majors to replace one of them. He could also make his MLB debut if there is an injury, much like Cam Schlittler did last summer.

Rodriguez is regarded by some as the best pitching talent in New York's farm system (others favor Lagrange), so he will almost certainly be hitting the bigs at some point in the near future. Could that be as early as the spring of 2026?

It's entirely possible, and Warren and Gil will need to watch themselves.

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