The Yankees’ rotation depth is vanishing before our eyes this spring. What was projected to be one of baseball’s strongest pitching staffs has been gutted by injuries before Opening Day even arrives.
The cascade of bad news started with Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, who suffered a lat strain that’ll keep him sidelined for at least a few months. Then came the devastating announcement that ace Gerrit Cole needs Tommy John surgery, wiping out his entire 2025 season and potentially part of 2026. Clarke Schmidt added another scare when shoulder soreness forced him to skip his last spring start, though he’s expected to be ready for his first regular season appearance.
Even if Schmidt stays on track and Gil returns faster than expected, the Yankees desperately need other starters to step up. Marcus Stroman, who was fighting for a rotation spot, now seems guaranteed to start. But the more intriguing option emerging from the chaos is Will Warren.
Warren, 25, is making a compelling case this spring with a 2.87 ERA and an impressive 16-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That’s a dramatic turnaround from last season when he was hammered for a 10.32 ERA in six appearances. The difference? Much improved command.
“Warren hardly looked ready for prime time in his first taste of the Majors last season, when he was thumped to a 10.32 ERA across 22 2/3 innings, but the 25-year-old has refined his command and looks much sharper this spring,” wrote MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “Injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil will test the Yankees’ pitching depth, and Warren appears poised to take advantage of the opportunity. Manager Aaron Boone said Warren has ‘off-the-charts makeup’ and believes he has the potential to be ‘a really good starter in this league.'”
Spring numbers always deserve skepticism, and Warren will need to prove these adjustments stick when games actually count. But the defending American League champs don’t need him to replace Cole – they just need him to provide solid innings behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodon. If Warren’s improvements are legitimate, he could be the unexpected solution to a suddenly pressing problem.
