Spring Training is currently underway, and it’s exciting because the MLB season is fast approaching. This is true for the New York Yankees, who made a World Series appearance last year. Unfortunately, they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but fans are still hyped for the Yankees to play again.
While Manager Aaron Boone’s extension is buzzing, one pitcher has been quietly impressive during Spring Training. With how he is playing, there is a chance he could get an MLB appearance. That pitcher’s name is Will Warren, and he has been sensational lately.
Will Warren is a 25-year-old baseball pitcher. He was selected in the 8th round (243rd Overall) by the Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft. He has been a part of the Yankees’ prospect pool for a while and was even a part of the spring training squad last year.
Warren is one of the Yankees’ notable prospects in their pool. He’s even made an appearance in the majors, but let’s just say it wasn’t great.
Warren made his debut on July 30th against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was not good in the first two innings, with the Phillies scoring four runs. At least the Yankees won that game, but Warren was insignificant overall. He only pitched 22.2 innings that season, and he had a 10.32 ERA. While his strikeout numbers seemed impressive on paper, he also allowed 1.99 home runs per 9 innings, which is not up to par.
Clearly, Warren was nowhere near ready when he was in the Majors. He had potential with the strikeout number but needed to clean up his technique and improve his ground ball rate. Luckily, the Yankees had plenty of options at pitcher and used them to take their time with his development. As of now, he is back on the Yankees spring training squad and is trying to prove that he belongs. So far, he has done that.
Warren has played so much better in spring training. Especially in that game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he was perfect in the three innings he pitched. Heck, he even struck out Nolan Arenado, which is hard to do. His technique, through smooth curveballs and slider pitches, stood out.
Warren looks like a different player, and his fastball has been excellent. All he needs to work on his consistency, and once he nails that, he can be a part of the majors full-time. It might be coming soon, depending on the recovery from Luis Gil’s injury.
One thing is for sure: the Yankees may have something in Will Warren. He has shown flashes of his potential and is getting many comparisons to Michael King. It’s not hard to see why, as he is almost a carbon copy of himself. Hopefully, the Yankees won’t trade him for 1 year of generational talent.
With more time and a more consistent performance basis, he might become a part of the Yankees rotation full-time. Maybe even be a part of the rotation for many years to come.
Keep an eye on him, and don’t be surprised if Yankees fans see Warren in the Majors this season, hopefully permanently. No matter what happens, he is on the right path with his development, and it is great to see him do better. What are your thoughts on Will Warren’s performance? Let me know in the comment section, give the article a like, and check out other MLB content on Stadium Rant.
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