The New York Yankees now have a cushy problem thanks to Will Warren.
Heading into the 2026 MLB campaign, Will Warren appeared to be a potential odd man out in the New York Yankees' starting rotation.
With Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole both on the mend, many wondered if there would be any room for Warren once those two returned. We knew that Max Fried and Cam Schlittler both had rotation spots locked down, meaning that Warren would be battling it out with Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers for the final slot.
Based on the fact that Warren was left out of the Yankees' playoff rotation last year and because New York traded four prospects to acquire Weathers from the Miami Marlins back in January, you just kind of thought he might be a trade candidate.
But at this point, Warren appears to be anything but that, and he has actually created a problem for the Yankees. In the best way possible, though.
Following his latest gem against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, Warren owns a 2.39 ERA over his first seven starts this season. What's more, he has allowed just 32 hits while racking up 46 strikeouts over 37.2 innings of work, and his 5.75 K/BB ratio is truly elite. His 1.06 WHIP is fantastic, as well.
While the 26-year-old certainly showed flashes of brilliance across his 33 starts in 2025, there is no question that this is the best run of Warren's career to date, and considering how well he pitched in Spring Training, we probably should have seen this coming.
Now, New York must question what it will do with the rest of its young arms it has emerging in its system.
New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.We just saw Elmer Rodriguez earlier in the week, and Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess are probably not far away, either (although Lagrange's command remains an issue). That's not to mention all of the other pitchers the Yanks have in the minor leagues.
Rodriguez, Lagrange and Hess in particular have had the spotlight on them for quite some time now, but with Warren developing into a potential star and Warren also looking quite impressive, you have to wonder if there is room for any of them in the near future.
Once Rodon and Cole return, the Yankees' starting rotation will feature Cole, Fried, Rodon, Schlittler and Warren. Weathers will probably head to the bullpen, and Gil was recently demoted to Triple-A after a rough start to the year.
Rodriguez seems bound to head back to Triple-A the second Rodon is activated, and Lagrange and Hess appear destined to stay down in the minors.
But could this force a trade for New York?
It's always wise to trade from an area of strength, and the Yankees have pitchers coming out of their ears. It is highly, highly doubtful that all of these young hurlers will remain in New York long term.
If the Yanks need something before the trade deadline (and they almost certainly will), I can absolutely envision a scenario in which Brian Cashman bites the bullet and decides to start parting with some of his talented young pitchers.
The Yankees had a pitching surplus before 2026. Now that Warren is taking a major step to the next level, the surplus has expanded even further.
What a great problem to have.
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