Yankees Rookie Fails Playoff Audition

Though the back-end of the New York Yankees' playoff rotation still largely remains a mystery, Will Warren may have put himself out of the running for one of those last spots with his poor outing in the club's series finale against the Boston Red Sox.

With New York looking to clinch a three-game sweep against their hated division rivals, Warren didn't meet the moment at Fenway Park. The Red Sox pushed across six runs in the bottom of the first inning off the right-handed rookie, and while he kept them at bay over his final four frames, the damage was already done.

Sep 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Boston went on to secure a 6-4 victory to keep it within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot in the American League. If Warren had been just a little bit sharper and put New York in a position to win, it would have moved 3 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox, which is particularly pertinent considering the two teams are currently in position to face one another in the Wild Card Series and thus are fighting for home-field advantage.

One bad start shouldn't discredit Warren's recent body of work, as he had posted a 2.81 ERA over his prior nine outings before getting strafed by Boston, but he's losing ground in his pursuit of a postseason rotation spot.

While fellow rookie Cam Schlittler similarly had a blow-up start against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 5, during which he gave up four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings, he's still boasting a minuscule 2.40 ERA and 3.07 FIP across eight starts since the beginning of August.

Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil made his first start of the campaign on August 3 after recovering from a lat strain and has picked up right where he left off, recording a 2.83 ERA over 41 1/3 innings while also throwing six no-hit frames in his latest appearance vs. Boston on September 12.

With Max Fried and Carlos Rodón locked in as the Yankees' top-two starters while Schlittler and Gil are performing at a high level, there isn't much of a path towards Warren earning a rotation spot in October. He's almost certain to still make the roster as a bullpen arm, but landing a bigger role than that may prove tough for him.

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