Jul 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) follows through on a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Rookie Due for Major Breakout

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 11:30 AM ET

A lot of attention is on Cam Schlittler after his impressive major league debut on Wednesday night, but another New York Yankees rookie starting pitcher is due to breakout in the near future.

Will Warren has held a spot in New York's rotation since the regular season began. The ride hasn't always been smooth, though, as he's run into some rough patches while generally finding it tough to consistently turn in quality outings.

For example, Warren posted a 2.45 ERA and stellar 0.56 FIP across three outings from May 14 to May 25 before getting strafed for seven runs over 1 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 31. More recently, the 26-year-old logged a 1.96 ERA and 1.69 FIP in four starts from June 12 to June 27 before allowing eight runs to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2.

His most recent outing was a step in the right direction, as he held the Seattle Mariners scoreless over 5 2/3 frames with four strikeouts on July 8.

Warren's season-long ERA of 4.70 over 19 outings and 90 innings doesn't look great as a result of his blow-up starts, but the underlying metrics have always suggested that he's pitching at a higher level than the surface-level stats would recommend.

He ranks among the game's elite with a 28.0 percent strikeout rate while also boasting an xERA and FIP of 3.55 and 3.20, respectively, serving as evidence that his numbers should improve down the stretch of the regular season.

Additionally, Warren's four-seam fastball has graded out well above-average according to Baseball Savant with a Run Value of nine, ranking No. 29 among 555 different offerings from pitchers around the league.

Warren's off-speed pitches, such as his sweeper and changeup, have yet to develop into true weapons in his arsenal, but they should become more reliable options for him in due time.

The Yankees will likely add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, but Warren has shown enough this year to hold down a spot in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

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