Yankees' Budding Star Has Supercharged His Value Right Before Our Eyes

Heading into the 2026 MLB campaign, I viewed Will Warren as a trade commodity for the New York Yankees. So did others.

After all, Warren wasn't even in the Yankees' playoff rotation last year, and with both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon slated to return in early 2026 and with the offseason addition of Ryan Weathers, Warren appeared to be on borrowed time in the Bronx.

The right-hander then put together a tremendous showing in Spring Training which has carried over into the regular season, and Warren's value — and role — has changed drastically as a result.

Through five starts this year, Warren has logged a 2.49 ERA while allowing 22 hits and registering 31 strikeouts over 25.1 innings of work. His 5.17 K/BB ratio is incredible, and his .297 BABIP indicates that he hasn't been getting lucky.

What's more, Warren's hard-hit percentage is down from 33 percent to 25.4 percent this season, and he is inducing ground balls on 50.7 percent of contact.

All of Warren's peripherals look fantastic and are an indication that his torrid start to 2026 has not been a mirage.

Of course, it's still very early in the season, so we can't anoint Warren just yet, but one thing has been made clear: the 26-year-old has absolutely entrenched himself in the Yankees' starting rotation, and his trade value has skyrocketed.

With New York having top arms like Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez and Ben Hess — among others — in the minor leagues, a trade will almost certainly have to be made somewhere. Initially, Warren looked expendable. But now, an argument can be made that the Yankees would be better off trading one or more of their prospects instead.

At some point this season, New York will be aiming to improve its roster. The Yanks are active at the trade deadline every year, and I don't see why this summer would be any exception. That's especially with the Yankees clearly needing another bat and some help in their bullpen.

Going into the campaign, Warren, to me, looked like he could be on the chopping block. He struggled against strong competition, and he did not exactly end the season on a positive note. But the former eighth-round pick has flipped the script this spring.

Does that necessarily mean Warren is untouchable? Certainly not. New York might prefer to move him rather than one of its many talented hurlers in its farm system. But there is no question that he is stating his case to the Yankees, and they are surely paying attention.

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