Will Warren Gives Yankees Something Big to Be Excited About

The New York Yankees are in good hands with Will Warren.

Mar 1, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Coming off 33 starts in 2025, the New York Yankees knew Will Warren is someone they could rely on more in 2026.

His spot in the starting rotation will be a bit unknown in the long-run when Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole return, but he just delivered the team's best performance this spring.

Warren went four innings against the Washington Nationals, the deepest any Yankees pitcher has gone in 2026. While he did give up a run, it was unearned as his ERA fell down to 0.87.

Manager Aaron Boone had Warren make the four hour trip to Palm Beach as Warren delivered in a quality start away from home. The 26-year old continues to get better, and he remains his biggest critic.

Will Warren's Spring Training Has Been Delightful

Will Warren fired off another productive Spring outing with 4 scoreless innings against Washington

Warren continues to showcase his impressive stuff which was supplemented by solid command, rendering a sparkling 50.0 O-Swing% on the day pic.twitter.com/LrjSGQxHqZ

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) March 8, 2026

The righty gave up just two hits in four innings of work as he struck out a trio of Nationals and walked two. His four innings pushed him to 10.1 this spring as he now leads the team by two full innings. Fellow starter Luis Gil isn't too far behind at eight innings, though Gil has given up one extra run already.

Warren commented, "My stuff wasn’t as sharp as I wanted it to be, especially there late. I was cruising early, it was a little frustrating because at that point I thought I could get to the fifth inning. But overall, everything was good. I could have been a little sharper, but it’s still Spring Training.”

He later said, "Today was one of those days where I felt great, everything looked sharp.” Washington threw a ton of lefties at Warren who said he "threw the whole kitchen sink at them."

2026 Should Be Warren's Best Yet

Feb 12, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren (98) works out during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Eyeing a five-inning start in Spring Training is quite insane knowing how tight Boone sticks to his pitch count. Warren needed just 30 pitches to get through the first three innings, so it's all about keeping that pitch count down to remain in the game as long as possible. At the end of the day, it's only Spring Training and there's no need to have Warren throwing 100+ pitches like he did four times last year.

"He was real efficient, another good one," Boone said. "I think he’s been steady. He’s taken his share of lumps along the way. But I feel he’s learned a ton, he’s grown a ton, learned how to slow the game down while also still just physically developing his craft. He’s had a really good camp.”

Not often does a team ask one of their starters to take a four hour bus ride in Spring Training, but Boone's decision likely paid off big time. Warren came through with this pitching staff's most impressive performance of the year, and he'll look to build on that should he make his fourth start next week.

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