Yankees pitcher Will Warren is set to make his season debut with renewed confidence and a refined pitching arsenal. Injuries to key pitchers have given him a chance to start, and his improved performance in spring training has the team hopeful. Aaron Judge praised Warren’s growth and confidence. The Yankees also re-signed Dominic Smith to a minor league deal and announced their minor league rosters. Aaron Judge was named the American League Player of the Week, and the Yankees had two players in the top 20 of MLB’s top-selling jerseys rankings.
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When Will Warren last took the mound in the major leagues, his ERA soared to a concerning 10.32 during his sixth outing of the previous season. However, the young pitcher is returning this year with a renewed sense of confidence and maturity, attributes that the Yankees hope will translate into a more effective performance on the mound.
Warren is set to make his season debut against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, showcasing the growth he has experienced since last year. Injuries to key pitchers like Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt have provided Warren with an opportunity to secure a starting spot in the rotation. But it’s not just the opportunity that has bolstered his confidence; it’s the lessons learned from last year’s struggles.
“I don’t think there was any doubt in my mind [this spring] when throwing certain pitches,” Warren said at the end of spring training. “Last year, sometimes the struggle came when I was like, ‘All right, this guy could handle this, so maybe I need to go away from that.’ I feel like this spring, it was like, ‘Four-seam fastball? Here it is, let’s see what you can do with it.’ I think that’s been the difference-maker.”
Warren has also refined his pitching arsenal, adding a changeup and reintroducing a curveball to give him more options against left-handed hitters. He aims to get ahead in counts earlier, a strategy that should help him avoid falling behind, a problem that plagued him last season.
Aaron Judge, a teammate and mentor, has noticed Warren’s growth. “I’m excited to see what Will Warren can do this year,” Judge said. “He’s a guy that I feel like every time I see him, every start he continues to get a little better, show something a little new. He’s continuing to gain that confidence. I think that’s what it’s really about here, playing at the major league level, is just having the confidence to go out there and trust your stuff and do your thing.”
In other Yankees news, the team re-signed Dominic Smith to a minor league deal, adding depth to their left-handed hitting options at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Smith had an impressive spring training but was not added to the major league roster due to the team’s already left-handed heavy lineup.
The Yankees also announced their minor league rosters, with notable assignments including Spencer Jones, Rafael Flores, and Cam Schlittler starting at Double-A Somerset, and George Lombard Jr., Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham, Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Kyle Carr beginning the season at High-A Hudson Valley. Roderick Arias, a top prospect, will head to Single-A Tampa.
Aaron Judge was named the American League Player of the Week, an honor he has received multiple times during his MVP seasons. In his first three games, Judge was 6-for-11 (.545) with four home runs, two doubles, and 11 RBIs.
Finally, the MLB released its top-selling jerseys rankings, with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, and Judge leading the pack. Yankees’ Anthony Volpe also made the list at No. 19.
