The Rookie Writing Yankees History Might Not Have a Postseason Role

The Yankees didn’t plan on Will Warren becoming one of their most reliable arms in 2025. Injuries forced the rookie into the rotation early, and all he’s done since is carve out a spot in the record book.

With his scheduled start against the Tigers Tuesday night, Warren is on the verge of becoming just the fifth rookie in Yankees history to make 30 starts in a season, joining a list that includes Russ Ford (1910), Doc Medich (1973), Orlando Hernández (1998), and Chase Whitley (2014). That’s a century’s worth of pitchers with only a handful managing the workload.

The strikeout totals tell a similar story.

Warren’s 153 strikeouts rank fourth all-time among Yankees rookies, trailing only Orlando Hernandez (157 in 1998), Stan Bahnsen (162 in 1968), and Al Downing (171 in 1963). With three weeks to go, Warren has a chance to move up the list — and in the process become the first Yankees rookie since El Duque to reach 160 Ks.

What makes his season more remarkable is how quietly it has come together. Warren doesn’t have the pedigree of Spencer Jones or the prospect shine of Jasson Domínguez, but he’s been durable, steady, and effective in a year when the Yankees desperately needed innings.

The last Yankees rookie to make this kind of impact was Hernandez in ’98, who became a postseason weapon on the way to a World Series title. He was already an established professional player from Cuba at that time, however. Bahnsen won Rookie of the Year in ’68. Downing became an All-Star. Those names show the company Warren is keeping.

For a team that’s built around superstars like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Warren has provided the kind of stability that doesn’t usually grab headlines, but it makes a difference in the end.

If he keeps going, he’ll finish in a place only a handful of Yankees pitchers have ever had in the history books. Ironically, he may not finish 2025 in the Yankees' rotation as the playoff roster will not need five starters.

Warren’s emergence might be one of the most important developments of all not just for 2025, but for the foundation of the future in the Bronx.