Will Warren has turned a bullpen move into something the Yankees can actually lean on when October arrives.
Since shifting into a multi-inning relief role, the right-hander has looked like a different kind of weapon for New York. Over 6.2 innings out of the bullpen, he has not given up an earned run, while posting a 29.6% strikeout rate and a 56.3% ground ball rate.
The best version of that came on Sept. 25 against the Baltimore Orioles. Warren threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings and punched out seven, a performance that showed exactly why the Yankees may want him available in the postseason when a game starts to wobble.
The stuff has played up in relief, too. His fastball has ticked up to 94.5 mph, compared with 93.7 mph when he was working as a starter.
Warren has already logged a few different bullpen looks. He pitched in relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates in July and also handled a piggyback role against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.
That flexibility matters for a Yankees team that already has Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon in the rotation. But even with that group, there will be moments when a starter has to exit early, and Warren’s ability to cover multiple innings gives New York a valuable safety net.
Against Baltimore, he also produced 13 swings and misses, the kind of bat-missing outing that can steady a game when the pressure rises.
His importance only grows because of the injuries to Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers. With those absences thinning the staff, Warren’s ability to work as a bulk reliever in high-leverage spots becomes even more important.
If the Yankees are going to make a deep postseason run, they may end up needing Warren to bridge innings and keep games from slipping away. That’s a role he has already shown he can handle.
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