Will Warren Is Showing the Yankees Why He Should Keep Rotation Slot Over Ryan Weathers

Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have pitched like frontline starters all year, and the Yankees will have to decide on one of them soon.

Will Warren has gone above and beyond to prove himself to the Yankees. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Shortstop is the big debate around the Yankees, but there's another discussion that should be overshadowing that one: what the organization should do once Gerrit Cole is back in the fold. Both Will Warren and Ryan Weathers were spectacular this week against the Orioles and made solid cases for themselves all season.

While Warren didn't have as spectacular a line as Weathers, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out nine, he showed a level of maturity with how poised he looked after an ugly outing his last time out. Against the Rangers, Warren went four innings. He allowed six earned runs and two homers.

Those whiffs were still there. Warren was able to generate seven strikeouts, but that was just about the only thing he had going that game. That line against the Orioles was much better, as he tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out six and only allowed one walk.

Will Warren held the Orioles scoreless until he ran into some trouble in the sixth pic.twitter.com/wqHMarNEBb

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 13, 2026

After such a performance, it's becoming increasingly clear that Warren has the edge over Weathers regarding who'll stay in the Yankees' starting rotation when Cole returns.

Will Warren's poise isn't going unnoticed

Bouncing back was proof enough that Warren isn't the pitcher he was in 2025. While Warren showed flashes of being a solid arm last season, it always felt like he could come undone at any moment. There wasn't a snowball effect against the Orioles, though. Instead, he looked more like the face of dependability that he has been all year.

On top of that, Warren probably could have pitched deeper into the game were it not for some defensive gaffes behind him. That third inning could have easily been a nightmare. Those instances when the defense failed him could have been points in the game when he could have fallen apart, but instead, Warren didn't waver.

Will Warren's poise is exactly why he deserves to remain a Yankees starter. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

It started with a leadoff walk. Colby Mayo walked after a six-pitch at-bat, and when it seemed like Warren was going to get out of the jam after Jeremiah Jackson hit a groundball to short, Max Schuemann threw the ball away. It should have been an easy double play.

Right after that, Warren had an opportunity for another double play. This time, the blunder was not on Schuemann. It was on Amed Rosario, who was not covering second. Schuemann got the ball to Rosario, but by the time Rosario threw it to first, the runner was safe. The bases were loaded with no outs.

Warren then induced a flyout to Aaron Judge. The ball wasn't hit deep enough, and with Judge's arm, Mayo didn't want to test it from third. He didn't score. Warren finally got his double play after that. Adley Rutschman hit a groundball to Rosario, and Schuemann turned two, finally getting Warren out of a bases-loaded jam he created.

Deciding Warren vs. Weathers once and for all

Under most circumstances, there wouldn't be a debate when there are two pitchers who have performed as well as Weathers and Warren have. They just ran into some bad timing with both Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole on the mend.

Ryan Weathers, Nasty Changeups. 👌

8Ks thru 5...and 🤫 pic.twitter.com/y43OLXhKQX

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 12, 2026

Most teams would find a way to keep both of them in the fold. Most teams also don't have two frontline starters in Cole and Rodón.

Once Cole comes back, it will be interesting to see how the Yankees handle Weathers. It feels like they would want him to increase his workload from last year, innings-wise. He had 38 1/3 innings at the big league level in 2025 due to injury, and he has already eclipsed that this season. Sending him to the bullpen feels counterproductive at this point.

The Yankees could either option Weathers or even get creative with a six-man rotation. They're running out of time to figure this one out, too, because Cole's return is imminent and Warren isn't showing signs of slowing down.