Yankees Rookie Stumbles While Fighting For Postseason Role

The Yankees’ playoff pitching puzzle is still not complete after Sunday night’s loss at Fenway Park. Will Warren certainly did not do anything to help put himself in the picture either. The rookie allowed six runs on 10 hits across five innings in a loss to the Red Sox, walking one and striking out five. It was another uneven outing for the rookie right-hander, who now sits at 8–7 with a 4.44 ERA on the season.

For a rotation already leaning heavily on Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, Warren’s inconsistency only complicates how Aaron Boone and Matt Blake will line up the staff in October. 

Fried and Rodon are the locks for starts in the best-of-three games series.  That much has never been in doubt. The debate centers on what to do with the trio of Warren, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler.

Warren’s profile has always been steady, until it isn’t.

 He’s a grinder, unspectacular, but he’s made 30 starts, logged innings, and shown a knack for mixing pitches enough to survive lineups multiple times. But Sunday underscores the risk. In a short series, one crooked inning can undo everything. 

Especially since the Yankees could very well be facing these same Red Sox. 

In three starts vs. the Red Sox this season, Will Warren has pitched to a 9.42 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs in 14⅓ innings.

Gil brings electric stuff but uneven command. Schlittler’s fastball has overwhelmed at times, though he’s untested in this kind of spotlight. The Yankees may be left choosing not so much who earns a third starter’s role as who they trust least to damage a game. That could push Gil into the rotation, where the leash is short but the upside is highest, and Warren into more of a long-relief or mop-up option.

The bullpen calculus doesn’t help Warren’s case either. David Bednar and Fernando Cruz are the only true high-leverage reliables. Beyond them, Camilo Doval has wobbled,and Devin Williams has not earned anyone’s trust.. Boone may want someone like Gil or Schlittler available as a bridge. Warren doesn’t slot cleanly into that lane.

The Yankees believe Warren has a future in their rotation and he’s shown it. 

But Sunday night made clear he may not have a present role in their postseason pitching plans. October demands ruthlessness, and right now, his fit looks more like emergency depth than a trusted weapon.