Will Warren Prepares for His 30th Season

Will Warren is set to kick off his 30th season against the Tigers on Tuesday. It’s a noteworthy milestone—no one else in the major leagues has played more games than he has.

“I think the goal for all of us is to be available every five days,” he mentioned. “This is my first full season in the majors, and I really take pride in that. I focus on preparing for that fifth day, giving the team a chance to win, and doing everything I can in the meantime.”

And, often, he accomplished just that.

Warren had his ups and downs along the way, but he’s really hit his stride recently. After allowing eight runs in a game against Toronto on July 2nd, which pushed his ERA up to 5.02, he bounced back impressively.

Since that outing, he’s made 11 starts and posted a solid 3.18 ERA.

It’s interesting, really—there’s an element of luck involved, but Warren has definitely shown he knows how to handle his role as a pitcher. He had spent his second spring training vying for the No. 5 starter position.

“In the beginning of the year, I told myself I’d try to make as many starts as possible,” he reflected. “I had no idea how the season would unfold, but after the All-Star break, I checked and saw I was tied with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried—this is a pretty good spot to be in.”

Part of what’s kept him going has been his ability to move past tough outings, a skill he started developing last season. He learned a lot from his conversations with Cam Schlittler, who had faced difficulties in his last major outing.

“Sometimes you just get knocked down,” Warren said. “It stings, but you have to take a deep breath and let it go. You learn and move forward. I told Cam, ‘It’s just one game.’ Last year I had a few bad outings, but I kept coming back.”

Instead of shifting back and forth between the Yankees and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Warren has been able to remain on the roster for the entire year. This continuity has allowed him to soak up insights from seasoned players.

“Being around Rodón and Gerrit every day is invaluable. You get to pick their brains and understand how they think and pitch,” he stated. “Now I can chat with them in the dugout, and that helps me keep learning.”