Yankees' Will Warren Facing the Biggest Moment of His Career

It has certainly been a tumultuous season for New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren, who has probably been the most inconsistent arm on the team throughout the year.

Warren got off to a terrific start in 2026, having owned a 2.59 ERA through April. That ERA increased to 3.22 by the end of May, but he was still solid.

Then, June hit, and things kind of came apart at the seams for Warren, who concluded the month with a 3.75 ERA, which then increased to 4.43 by mid-August.

Recently, though, Warren has shown some very positive signs.

The right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball in a win over the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 30, and on Sept. 4, he actually relieved Max Fried and pitched 2.1 scoreless frames out of the bullpen in a loss to the San Diego Padres.

Now, Warren will prepare to start against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday evening in what could very well be the biggest moment of his career to date.

Why is a matchup versus the Rockies so pivotal for Warren? Because he needs to start showing that he actually can be a consistent member of the rotation. Not necessarily for this season, but for years to come.

It's obvious the Yankees will be using Warren out of the bullpen in the playoffs. That's why they felt so comfortable using him in a relief role against the Padres. But long term, New York views Warren as a starter.

The problem for Warren is that the Yankees rotation is loaded. Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon comprise the top four, and had it not been for Ryan Weathers getting injured, Warren might already be in the pen for the remainder of 2026.

Warren will likely be battling with Weathers for the final slot in the starting five next spring (unless New York gets Tarik Skubal in free agency, which would obviously eliminated both Warren and Weathers from the discussion). And while 2027 is still a ways away, don't get it twisted: Warren is auditioning for that role now.

The 27-year-old needs to show that he can actually string impressive starts together rather than being such a volatile arm. Colorado is surprisingly a solid offensive team, but keep in mind that this game will be played at Yankee Stadium; not Coors Field.

Taking that into consideration, Warren should be able to stage an impressive, lengthy performance against a Rockies squad that has absolutely nothing to play for.

If Warren ends up reverting back to his pedestrian ways, it will just be yet another strike against him in his quest to lock down a spot on the Yanks for the future.