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Three Young Players the Yankees Must Extend
Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Three Young Players the Yankees Must Extend

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports  |  By Jack Rotolo  |  Last updated Apr 3, 2026 1:11 AM ET

The New York Yankees are off to a hot start in 2026, and their young core of talent is playing a major role in that success. It’s not just the Yankees who are getting huge contributions from their youth, though. Around the major leagues, there’s been an influx of thriving rookies, including (but not limited to) Carson Benge of the New York Mets, Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians, and JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s a much more common practice in MLB nowadays to extend young players like these before they blossom into superstars, who then expect a much bigger paycheck.

Some teams, like the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners in particular, don’t waste a second extending their young talent. Still, on the other hand, there are teams like the Yankees, who haven’t handed out an extension to a single player this decade, let alone to a young and unproven player. The irony is that they have a handful of youngsters who are more than worthy of extensions, and in the long run, signing them now can save them millions later on. Here are three young Yankees whom the team should seriously consider giving contract extensions.

Three Young Yankees Who Should Get Contract Extensions

Cam Schlittler

Having made a mere 18 starts in his dawning career, Cam Schlittler already looks like an ace, not just a budding star. His start in the postseason against the Boston Red Sox in last year’s AL Wild Card Series was legendary, and he’s already building off that success in his first full season in the majors. In his first two starts, Schlittler hasn’t allowed a single run, tossing 11 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks. He is the first Yankee in history to start a season with back-to-back starts of at least 5 scoreless innings and 7+ strikeouts.

There are pitchers who shine as soon as they arrive to the Show, and then there are those who need a little time to develop before they’re ready to dominate on the mound. Schlittler falls into the former category, and then some. Although he hasn’t even been in MLB for a calendar year, the Yankees would be smart to extend one of their best homegrown pitchers in over a decade.

Ben Rice

On the flip side, Ben Rice struggled in his first stint with the Yankees in 2024. But last year, he became one of New York’s most valuable hitters, even if the stats don’t necessarily show it (though an .836 OPS and 26 homers are nothing to scoff at). Rice had one of the highest hard-hit and barrel rates in the entire league last year, but he unfortunately wasn’t rewarded accordingly for it. This year, however, it looks like his luck has already changed.

Through his first five games, Rice is slashing .412/.524/.765 with four extra-base hits, six runs scored, and five RBI. At this point, it appears that last year definitely wasn’t a fluke for the 27-year-old. Rice already looks like a franchise first baseman, and the Yankees would do well to keep him for the foreseeable future.

Will Warren

Will Warren‘s first full season was certainly not as flashy as that of Rice or Schlittler, but he still made quite a name for himself by becoming the first Yankee rookie to make 33+ starts in a season in almost 50 years. Inconsistency was the main issue in his rookie campaign, and he finished the year with a 4.44 ERA. Still, he managed to deliver six quality starts, even with manager Aaron Boone‘s extremely short leash (particularly for young pitchers).

On the positive side, he has a career K/9 of 9.65, and his durability will be key for a Yankee rotation that is already facing major losses in terms of starting pitching. Of course, Warren is much more unproven than both Rice and Schlittler, but there is no doubt that the talent is there. And, if his first start of 2026 means anything (one run allowed over 4 1/3 innings), he just might be on his way to becoming an anchor in New York’s rotation for years to come.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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