Spring Insights on Will Warren
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Will Warren is finishing a successful spring, but perhaps not with as much fanfare as he deserves.
If he can maintain this level of performance into the regular season, it’ll likely be a different story.
In his second-to-last Grapefruit League start, Warren showcased his skills once more, giving up just one run and striking out four over four innings. This brings his ERA down to 1.77 across five appearances.
“I feel like Will isn’t mentioned often enough in our rotation,” manager Aaron Boone remarked before the Yankees’ 3-2 win against the Rays. “He’s looking impressive. He pitched well for us last year, but it seems like he’s taken another step forward this time.”
In previous springs, Warren found himself uncertain about his position in the major league rotation as the season approached.
This year, his 33 starts from 2025 assure him a spot at the beginning of the season, yet he continues to approach his training as if he were still vying for a place on the team, all while adapting and striving for improvement.
He’s made some notable adjustments, like shifting to the third base side of the rubber to improve his angles against both right- and left-handed batters. He’s also started using a pitch call device on his belt to manage some of his pitches.
“Sometimes, I just want to throw without hesitation, especially in certain counts,” Warren explained. “I plan to keep using it during the regular season.”
He also noted that there are times he trusts his catcher, J.C. Escarra, to call the shots, which I think is pretty insightful.
The main goal for Warren is to feel confident in his throws, and he expressed that this assurance significantly distinguishes him from the player he was at the close of last season.
“You just need to go out there and deliver your pitches,” he said. “Throughout this spring, it’s been about being as efficient as possible. Max Fried has had an excellent career, and I try to emulate that.”
Gerrit Cole is lined up to make his spring debut soon, while Carlos Rodon is set to sit out Grapefruit League games until the Yankees suspend camp.
Rodon, having returned from elbow surgery in October for a bone spur removal, is expected to take another batting practice soon, where Fried and Ryan Weathers will pitch in a two-team game, throwing two innings each with a pitch limit of 35.
By the time he returns to the mound, the Yankees will have faced the Cubs in their final exhibition game in Arizona before Opening Day.
Despite the minor setbacks, Rodon is progressing well, and with any luck, he’ll only be out for a couple of weeks.
“I think he’ll be back sometime in April,” Boone shared.
Boone was cautious about David Bednar’s availability as Team USA’s pitcher for the WBC finals but expressed skepticism about that happening.
The Yankees’ closer was slated to pitch for the third time in five days; however, Boone acknowledged the heavy workload, with Bednar having thrown 68 pitches over three games from March 10 to 15.
Yerry de los Santos missed 10 days for family reasons but returned to camp recently. Meanwhile, the Yankees have reassigned RHP Bradley Hananer to minor league camp, leaving 49 players still in major league camp.
