What We're Actually Learning About Yankees Pitching Staff

As pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, FL for New York Yankees Spring Training, here's a rundown of what we know about the team's starters.

The Opening Day roster will be headlined by lefty Max Fried, who topped baseball last year with the most wins of any starting pitcher (19). The Yankees signed Fried last offseason on an eight-year deal and he made an immediate impact on the rotation.

Anything less than another excellent season from Fried will be unacceptable. He's the Yankees' best pitcher and on one of the largest contracts for a starting pitcher in baseball. While that's a lot of expectations, he should meet them with ease.

Cam Schlittler

Cam Schlittler, who debuted last year, should be beginning his first full season of major league play. Last year, Schlittler started 14 regular season games, entering the postseason with a 2.96 ERA. He really made a splash during the AL Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox when he struck out 12 batters in eight innings, allow no runs and just five hits. Though his performance in the Divisional Series against the Toronto Blue Jays wasn't the same, Schlittler is one of the most promising young pitchers on the Yankees roster.

Schlittler is poised for a breakout 2026 season. If he can gain some consistency, he's a candidate for Rookie of the Year. However, there could be a major downside if he faces a slump. Expect him to work hard to prove that he deserves to be part of the starting rotation from day one.

Ryan Weathers

Ryan Weathers is entering his first year in Pinstripes and could be a huge difference maker after throwing a 3.99 ERA with the Miami Marlins last year. Weathers has a rough injury history, but has the potential to be leveraged more on the Yankees if he can stay healthy.

Weathers is a bit of a wild card, having never played for the Yankees. His father did, though, and he seems enthusiastic and claims he's in the best shape of his career. He's got a huge upside and could be in for a major improvement from the Marlins, but it seems a bit too early to tell who won that trade.

Luis Gil

Luis Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award after striking out 171 batters and posting a 3.50 ERA in the regular season. He missed signifiant time in 2025, and just wasn't able to maintain that level of performance in the regular or post season. With more time spent healthy, Gil will hopefully be back to his 2024 self in 2026.

Compared to his NL Rookie of the Year counterpart, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Gil's 2025 season left a lot to be desired. That should be just the injuries talking though, and he can be back in a big way in 2026 to solidify his spot in the starting rotation.

Will Warren

Will Warren drastically improved last season compared to his debut season in 2024. He was originally selected in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB draft and made the Opening Day roster last season. He'd go on to start 33 games with a 4.44 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Warren is a good, but not great, pitcher, who certainly will get a chance towards the beginning of the season to impress. He'll likely fall off as a go-to starter by August.

Injured Pitchers

Then there's the guys who will be beginning the season on the IL. Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery on March 11 of last year and Clarke Schmidt also needed Tommy John surgery, which he received in July. Due to the lengthy recovery required, Cole should be back in the rotation by June. Schmidt may not return at all this season, though his timeline is still uncertain.

Carlos Rodón, who required offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing arm and shave down bone spurs, will return early in the season as well. According to insider Bryan Hoch, Rodón will return sometime in late April or early May. Rodón was one of the Yankees' best pitchers last season, throwing a 3.09 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 33 games.

Getting Rodón back will definitely be a major boost, especially for a rotation that will no doubt suffer without him. Fortunately, he's projected to return earlier than anyone else.

Cole, on the other hand is more of a wild card. He's undoubtedly a great pitcher, but age and major surgery can change that, and he might not look like his old self until the season is nearly over. Schmidt could be in the same scenario, though he wasn't Gerrit Cole before Tommy John and certainly won't be after. If all goes well through Cole's return, Schmidt shouldn't start a game at all this season.

Prospects and Non-Roster Invitees

In addition to reuniting with starters at Spring Training, the following prospects and non roster invitees will also take the mound at George M. Steinbrenner Field:

Carlos LeGrance, Ben Hess, Elmer Rodríguez, Kyle Carr, Brendan Beck, Michael Arias, Harrison Cohen, Carson Coleman, Dylan Coleman, Alexander Cornielle, Yovanny Cruz, Drake Fellows, Bradley Hanner, Adam Kloffenstein and Travis MacGregor.

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