Analyzing Which Yankees Starter Is Bullpen-Bound as Carlos Rodon's Return Looms

Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have both been rocks in the rotation, but one will likely have to start preparing for a different role.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ryan Weathers could find himself in the bullpen in the coming weeks with Carlos Rodon returning from the IL. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees' pitching staff is at a level that we haven't seen in a very long time. A playoff rotation that currently consists of the AL Cy Young favorite, the 2023 AL Cy Young, and a man who finished fourth in Cy Young voting a year ago will soon be bolstered by 2025 All-Star lefty Carlos Rodón, who's in the midst of a rehab assignment on his way back from elbow inflammation.

While a definite welcome sign, this isn't a normal situation of a veteran starter returning to replace a weak link in the rotation, as the Yankees currently have six rostered MLB-caliber starting pitchers.

Such depth was a necessity, especially with Rodón and Cole's known absences at the start of the season and Max Fried's midseason injury, but people have wondered aloud about what would happen if everyone got healthy.

The two pitchers whose season performances will be closely judged over the coming days are Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. These two guys have produced at a league-average-or-better level. In almost every other organization, these two would still be firmly in the rotation when healthy, but the ridiculous level of pitching talent in the Bronx will push one of them to the pen.

As the decision nears, who should it be? Both will likely be in the bullpen come playoff time anyway, but is there anything to give one of them more time to prepare for said role, or do you go with the guy who's more likely to get you wins down the stretch? Let's break it down.

Comparing Will Warren and Ryan Weathers' seasons

In a way, Warren and Weathers have mirrored each other in how their seasons have gone.

Warren, in his second full major league season, started off looking crisp with his diverse arsenal, pitching to a 3.22 ERA through the end of May despite a hiccup against Texas. Even when he wasn't superbly preventing runs, he was a lock to go at least five innings and allow three runs or fewer.

That changed in June, when his command faltered, and he labored harder to get through innings. In his ensuing six starts, the 27-year-old recorded a 6.21 ERA with just 24 strikeouts to 12 walks over 29 innings. He frankly looked gassed out there, feeling the weight of not missing a single start in a year and a half with career-high workloads.

But just as things looked like they were spiraling for Warren, he got back on track. In his last four starts since right before the All-Star Break, he's allowed 10 runs in 20.2 innings, but six of those came in a blowup outing against Philadelphia.

In the other three outings, he's averaged fewer than two runs allowed about six innings per start, upping his strikeout rate while walking just six in that time.

On the other end, the veteran Weathers has followed a similar path. In his first season since an offseason trade with Miami, the legacy Yankee also got off to an extremely fast start, showcasing his upper-90s velocity and pitching to a 3.14 ERA across his first 10 starts. He also walked fewer batters than he ever had in his career while averaging almost six innings per start.

The warning signs with Weathers, though, were always there. From the start of the season, he was susceptible to the long ball, being bitten in his two worst outings against the Angels and Blue Jays. When the workload started to catch up to him in late May, he allowed 16 runs on seven dingers in a span of three starts.

Through the start of July, he went on a seven-game stretch, struggling to get deep into games and keep the opponent off the scoreboard. It included a disastrous outing against Detroit, where he kept the ball in the park but allowed five runs in 1.2 innings. Heading into a matchup with the slugging Nationals on the road before the All-Star break, things continued to look bleak.

But Weathers used that start to help turn things around. In his five starts since July 10, he's allowed just seven runs in 28.2 innings, with five of them coming in the first two innings of a start against the Pirates that he settled into. In that span, he's also allowed just one home run by massively reducing his four-seam fastball usage, instead opting for his sinker and more breaking balls.

Both Weathers and Warren have seemingly gotten past the walls they hit midseason, but where should they sit on the organizational totem pole?

The case to move Will Warren to the bullpen

New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (29) could be the odd man out in the rotation when Carlos Rodon returns. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Warren has not been the more reliable starter this season in terms of both ERA and innings, and because neither seems likely to start in the postseason, moving the guy who might need more of a head start in the role might be prudent.

The chopping block in the bullpen right now is partially unclear, but one would imagine Yerry De los Santos and Kervin Castro are right there as multi-inning righties with options that Warren could easily replace.

In a bullpen role, we could see more untapped velocity from the second-year pitcher, who's typically at 94 mph on his sinker and four-seamer, which rely on pinpoint precision to be effective. In his first start of 2026, as fresh as he could be, he touched 97.9 mph on his fastball.

When Warren was off to his blistering hot start, he did so by leading the majors in called strike 3s, something he's still tied for sixth in the majors. Through nine starts, when he had an ERA in the twos, he had 21 called strike threes, which matches the number he's had in the 13 starts since. His command and velocity have waned over the course of the season, which could be changed in the bullpen.

He also works as a nice complement to Weathers and the still-building-up Rodón, as teams will be loading their lineups with right-handed hitters against the two southpaws. If Warren can come in and be a multi-inning option behind them, it can throw the opposing lineup off.

The last feather in the cap of this move is based on his arsenal. When he broke into the league, many compared his offerings and stuff to former Yankee reliever-turned-starter Michael King, and while Warren hasn't lived up to that comparison, there's at least a universe where a move to the bullpen can unlock something the way it did with King in 2022.

The case to move Ryan Weathers to the bullpen

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) has shown flashes of promise in the starting rotation. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Weathers has been the better pitcher this season so far, both based on his diminutive walk rate (6.8%) and how sustainable his new approach looks, shying away from the pitch that has yielded by far the most damage this season. Despite this, the case for sending Weathers to the bullpen early is quite strong and is predicated on his workload.

While Warren has a full season of innings under his belt in 2025, Weathers is in uncharted territory already in early August 2026. In no previous season had he exceeded 18 starts or 100 innings pitched, but he currently sits at 22 starts and 121 innings with as many as 10 starts remaining before the postseason.

The Yankees and their medical staff have done a great job of making Weathers look as fresh as ever this deep into what has been his only truly healthy season, but the possibility always exists of an injury or him hitting a wall down the stretch, and if they decide to convert Warren to the bullpen early, it could leave them vulnerable down the stretch of the season.

Even aside from the workload concerns, Weathers might just be better suited for a lengthy bullpen role than Warren. The diminished stuff on his four-seamer is likely a product of him needing to hold back to stay healthy and effective, but it's entirely possible that letting loose in relief could allow him to bring it back into his arsenal. He's been able to touch 99 in the past, and his four-seamer sat at 97 last year, which was a tick higher than this year.

Regardless of who the Yankees decide to move to the bullpen, they'll be strengthening the team overall.

A bullpen that was not fortified at the deadline is heavily relying on internal reinforcements that will include the returning Clarke Schmidt and one of Warren or Weathers, and if one of these three men can truly take things to the next level in this role, that'll be another leverage reliever at Aaron Boone's disposal in October.