The Yankees’ bullpen picture has gotten shaky at exactly the wrong time, and that makes Will Warren a far bigger October piece than he looked like a few weeks ago.
With Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers injured, New York is already running lean on relief options. There’s also some uncertainty around Brent Headrick after his velocity dipped in his most recent outings. In that kind of setup, Aaron Boone may have no choice but to lean on Warren when the games tighten up in October.
Warren has already made three relief appearances in 2026. His first came against the Pittsburgh Pirates in July, then he worked out of the bullpen against the San Diego Padres, and he did it again this week against the Baltimore Orioles.
That latest outing was the one the Yankees had to like most. Warren threw 3.2 innings, struck out seven, didn’t issue a walk, didn’t allow a run, and gave up just three hits. It also came only hours after the Orioles had already worn down New York’s staff in the first game of a 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."
The Yankees would probably still rather have Ryan Weathers in that spot if Boone had his choice. Weathers brings strikeout ability and can also generate groundballs at an above-average rate.
Warren’s profile is a little messier. He has flashed too much of a tendency to cough up a big inning, and the grand slam he surrendered in relief in the last ALDS ended up being a series-turning blow. New York needs a cleaner version of him now.
What the Yankees are hoping to carry into the postseason is the version that showed up against Baltimore. Warren generated 13 swings and misses against the Orioles, with four coming on the fastball, five on the sweeper, and two on the changeup. He has also gotten swings and misses on his curveball and slider.
How Boone uses him will matter too. Against Baltimore, Warren entered after Yarbrough, and that could be the blueprint in October if a starter exits early and the Yankees need someone to bridge the middle innings and maybe carry them into the sixth and beyond.
If New York is going to make any kind of run this postseason, Warren may end up being part of the answer when the pressure is highest. The concern is whether the Yankees should have done more at the trade deadline, because even if the bullpen has been solid statistically, it’s still hard to feel fully confident in the group as a whole.
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