Will Warren has had a rollercoaster of a first month. The New York Yankees' young right-hander has shown flashes of what the organization values in him, but also glimpses of why he might still benefit from time in Triple-A. Manager Aaron Boone was blunt in his assessment after a significant mistake in the third inning of the Yankees' loss to the Orioles on Monday night.
"Hopefully, he continues to grow," Boone told reporters.
In that third inning, Warren issued consecutive walks to Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, setting the stage for a 2-2 slider that Ryan O’Hearn launched for a three-run homer, putting Baltimore ahead 4–0.
"Just trying to make competitive pitches. At the end of the day, I’ve got to force them to put the ball in play,” Warren told reporters.
Despite the setback, Warren demonstrated resilience by striking out the side in his final inning. His mix of fastballs, sliders, and changeups has been compelling at times, notably helping him escape a second-and-third, no-out jam in the first inning by striking out O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle.
Warren is 1–1 with a 5.63 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 32 innings pitched. While these numbers indicate areas for improvement, the Yankees remain hopeful that Warren can develop into a reliable starter as he gains more experience at the major league level.
He was never expected to be leaned on so heavily this season. Warren came into spring training competing for the fifth starter’s spot, but likely headed to Triple-A. Gerrit Cole went down with a season-ending elbow injury and Luis Gil was knocked out of the first half of the season by a lat strain. Clarke Schmidt began the season on the injured list after a slow ramp-up this spring. Now, Marcus Stroman is dealing with a knee issue that doesn’t seem to be improving.
So, the Yankees need Warren to be able to compete. Boone’s message says it all, the Yankees have to hope he figures it out at the big league level now.
