Why Yankees pitcher Will Warren will become a household name in 2026

The vast majority of the baseball world is largely expecting the New York Yankees to boast one of the best starting rotations in baseball by late summer when they return to full strength. And while All-Star talents like Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, and Carlos Rodon will receive the most praise once the contingent is whole, there is one arm who could quickly earn a reputation as a workhorse, if not a top-flight arm: Will Warren.

In 2025, the 26-year-old logged 33 starts, and has already made his first start of 2026. What the youngster has accomplished so far is impressive, given his age and the way the Yankees’ rotation has been constructed since his debut in 2024. But it is fair to say he could reach another level that complements the rest of New York’s staff.

“Will’s kind of the non-talked-about guy, I feel like, in our rotation,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Greg Joyce of the New York Post during the team’s spring camp. “He looks great. Obviously, he threw the ball well for us last year, but it feels like another notch to me.”

Will Warren is a necessary part of the Yankees’ rotation at the moment

Across 162.1 innings in 2025, the righty recorded a 9-8 record and a 4.44 ERA. According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 94th percentile in terms of Fastball Run Value but only the 25th percentile in terms of Pitching Run Value. Additionally, he ranked in the seventh percentile in terms of average exit velocity.

Warren ate innings and gave the Yankees an almost guaranteed start every fifth day, all the while showcasing a more than serviceable pitch mix that could grant him room to develop as his career progresses.

Cole and other Yankees’ starters missed time last season, meaning that Warren had to do his part during the regular season. The same remains true to begin the 2026 campaign, but Warren worked during the offseason to become a more confident pitcher who can learn to trust his arsenal.

“Just going up there and throwing my stuff over the plate,” Warren said via the New York Post. “This whole spring, [the goal has been] being as efficient as possible. Max Fried’s made a great career out of that, and he’s going to keep doing it. So trying to pitch like that.”

Will Warren’s first start offered reason to be optimistic

Warren delivered 4.1 innings of work against the San Francisco Giants in his first start of 2026 on Saturday. He allowed five hits and two walks but only one run. It was not a pristine outing, but it put the team in a position to win.

“My command was a little wonky today,” Warren told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com after Saturday’s game. “They did a good job of fouling stuff off and making me work. That drove the pitch count up, but overall, we got after it, and I only gave up one run.”

Of course, the Yankees will expect to get dominant showings from their primary aces once they’re at full strength. But obtaining strong starts from individuals like Ryan Weathers, Warren, and others could add up in the American League East standings.

Boone, who won his 700th contest as a manager, acknowledged that even though it is only March, New York will never take a victory for granted.

“Look, wins are always hard to come by,” Boone told the New York Post. “You take them when you can get them. I love that we played well. But it’s March.”

A team can’t ensure a World Series win in the early months of a long season, but starters like Warren can make sure that their team will have a chance to remain in games that other squads won’t due to a lack of depth.

It would take a massive turn of events for Warren to factor into any kind of postseason picture, but his regular-season importance will further ingratiate him with a fan base that is clamoring for a strong year.

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