Will Warren Just Became a Lot More Important to Yankees’ World Series Hopes

The New York Yankees will need Will Warren to get big outs this October

New York Yankees relief pitcher Will Warren (29) follows through on a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees are running thin on bullpen options after injuries to Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers. There's even some uncertainty around Brent Headrick after a dip in velocity in his most recent outings.

That is why it's important that whenever Aaron Boone calls for Will Warren to come out of the bullpen this October, he's ready. His position within the org has become even more important to the Yankees.

So far, Warren has appeared in relief three times in 2026. He first appeared against the Pittsburgh Pirates in July. Warren then pitched in relief against the San Diego Padres and again this week against the Baltimore Orioles.

New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren (29) delivers during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This outing against the Orioles was his most dominant, too, and that lines up well with the playoffs beginning next week. He went 3.2 IP, struck out seven, allowed no runs or walks, and allowed just three hits. This came just hours after the Orioles wore down the Yankees' staff in game one of their day-night doubleheader.

"It's obviously something new, so I want to get used to it," Warren said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "In San Diego, I ran in and was a little bit gassed. We wanted to repeat that and just get our feet wet. I felt good, a little less blackout this time."

Warren's potential as a reliever

If you gave Boone truth serum about who he would rather see come in relief between Warren and Weathers, the answer would likely be Weathers. Weathers not only has the ability to get the strikeout, but he is also above average at generating groundballs.

Warren, on the other hand, has been spotty. He's always had a propensity to give up the big inning, and the grand slam he allowed in relief in the last ALDS ultimately killed that series. The Yankees will need better from him now, though.

If there's one thing the Yankees are hoping for, it's that the swing-and-miss stuff he had against the Orioles shows up this postseason. He had 13 swings and misses against Baltimore's lineup. Four came off the fastball, five off his sweeper, and two off his changeup. He has had swings and misses off of his curveball and slider.

Will Warren, Wicked Sweepers. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/Qv1CMnVdk7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 26, 2026

It will be interesting to see how the Yankees use Warren. When Boone called him in relief against Baltimore, he came out after Yarbrough. This could be his role in the postseason as well, where a starter leaves the game early, and he bridges the gap into the sixth inning and potentially beyond.

If the Yankees are going to do anything this postseason, it might hinge on Warren getting important outs, whether it's the Rays, the Red Sox, or anyone else if they move on. This is why it's a shame that they weren't more active on the trade front this deadline. It feels like, while this bullpen has been solid statistically, it's hard to feel confident in the unit as a whole.

Get Yankees On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.