SEATTLE — Will Warren’s outing concluded after five innings on Wednesday.
A scoring change means only two of the runs he gave up against the Mariners were officially charged to him.
What’s clear, though, is that the young right-hander is making strides, especially as the Yankees seek to build on a second consecutive encouraging start.
Warren led the Yankees to a 3-2 victory at T-Mobile Park, exceeding his previous career highs, striking out nine batters—more than he had in previous games.
In fact, he’s now recorded more than seven strikeouts in each of his last three games, totaling 24 strikeouts as he works toward more consistent performances.
“I’m starting strong, attacking the zone, and feeling more confident,” Warren mentioned.
At the beginning of the season, the Yankees were optimistic about their rotation with players like Max Fried and Carlos Rodon. However, Clark Schmidt has recently been performing well, and Warren is starting to solidify his place in the rotation.
After facing some challenges earlier in the season with limited play, Warren is beginning to show steadiness. Just last Friday, he gave up just one run in 7¹/₃ innings during what he called the best start of his career—scattering three hits and pitching five innings against a tougher Mariners lineup.
“That’s exactly what I want to see,” said Aaron Judge. “He had a fantastic game for us. The way he was throwing strikes really gets your heart racing. It was impressive today; his curveball and sweeper looked sharp. He battled despite giving up those early runs and handed it over to our strong bullpen.”
Warren unleashed his curveball a career-high 13 times on Wednesday, striking out four batters with it.
“We’ve worked hard on it recently,” he reflected. “I felt good about it and committed to the plan. The shape and grip were right, and I delivered with confidence.”
Warren started strong, setting the tone early by getting five of the first six batters out. However, he still has areas for improvement, as several at-bats turned into lengthy counts. If he’d been more efficient, he might have pitched deeper into the game rather than finishing after five innings with 92 pitches.
“I focus on pitching, but getting ahead of batters definitely boosts my confidence,” he added. “I’m just trying to control what I can.”
