Mar 20, 2025; Sarasota, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Will Warren Earns Yankees Rotation Spot, Slated to Face Diamondbacks

The Yankees' rotation has taken a significantly different shape than initially expected.

Rookie right-hander Will Warren received the news every aspiring big-league pitcher dreams of on Sunday morning – he’s officially made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

Will Warren has been informed he’s made the Yankees.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 23, 2025

Heading into spring training, Warren wasn’t expected to secure a spot in the rotation, but circumstances shifted, and the 25-year-old took full advantage of his opportunity. Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed on Sunday that Warren, the organization’s No. 5 prospect, will be part of the starting rotation and is slated to take the mound on April 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium.

While Warren’s strong performance in Grapefruit League play helped earn him the role, the Yankees are also dealing with a depleted starting staff, among lots of other injuries. With ace Gerrit Cole sidelined following Tommy John surgery and both Luis Gil (lat strain) and Clarke Schmidt (shoulder fatigue) beginning the season on the injured list, the team had limited internal options.

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Warren spent the offseason refining his pitch mix, reintroducing a curveball and adjusting his changeup grip, and the results were evident. Over his first five spring outings (four starts), he delivered a solid 2.87 ERA across 15.2 innings, allowing just five earned runs and nine hits while striking out 16. However, his final appearance wasn’t as sharp, he struggled against the Baltimore Orioles on March 23, surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks across 3.2 innings.

Despite securing a spot in the rotation, Warren still has to prove himself at the major league level. After spending most of last season in Triple-A, he made his MLB debut on July 30 but struggled in limited action, finishing with a 10.32 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 22.2 innings (six appearances). Now, with a clear role in the Yankees’ rotation, he has the chance to establish himself as a reliable starter.

Yankees’ Rotation to Start the Season

Here’s how the Yankees’ rotation will look to begin the year:

Carlos Rodón
Max Fried
Marcus Stroman
Will Warren

ALSO READ: Yankees Opening Day 2025: Predicted Starting Lineup

For Game 5, the Yankees could either turn back to Rodón or go with Carlos Carrasco.

Will Warren

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.