This New York Yankees pitcher has received a discouraging outlook.
The New York Yankees' starting rotation is definitely in a bit of trouble heading into the 2026 MLB season, as Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are beginning the year on the shelf, and both Ryan Weathers and Luis Gil have struggled in Spring Training.
However, there is one Yankees pitcher who has had a dynamite spring: Will Warren.
In five exhibition starts, Warren has logged a 1.77 ERA while allowing just 12 hits and issuing three walks over 20.1 innings of work. He has only struck out 16, but he has looked very impressive overall.
So is Warren prepared to take that next step in 2026?
Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer isn't so sure.
"Warren is slated to be the Yankees' No. 3 starter until Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are back, so he's looking the part. Yet even if he's throwing strikes, he's not exactly blowing hitters away given that he's only fanned 16 of the 76 he's faced," Rymer wrote. "Small gains in fastball velocity and whiff rate suggest he should be doing better, and his experiments with his mound placement and PitchCom are notable. Still, there isn't quite enough here to read into a full-on ace evolution."
New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.Warren made 33 starts last season, pitching to the tune of a 4.44 ERA while surrendering 158 hits and registering 171 strikeouts across 162.1 frames.
The 26-year-old was definitely inconsistent throughout the campaign, and he tended to labor against stronger competition (as evidenced by his 9.42 ERA in three starts versus the Boston Red Sox). He was left out of the Yankees' playoff rotation as a result, but he showed enough during the regular season to generate some hope for 2026.
But does Warren have some untapped potential? Or is has fate already been established as a middle-of-the-road starter?
The right-hander will definitely face some pressure this year, as New York will have three pitchers vying for the last slot in the rotation once Cole and Rodon return.
Based on how rough Weathers and Gil have looked in Spring Training, Warren may have the inside track to the job, but it is by no means a guarantee.
Warren could also serve as trade bait between now and the deadline in August.
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