The Yankees’ rotation has gone from a strength to a spot that needs attention fast.
That wasn’t the expectation when the season opened. New York’s starters were carrying the club early, and even now the group still ranks sixth in baseball with a 3.62 ERA.
But the recent trend line is harder to ignore. Since June 1, the rotation has posted a 4.93 ERA, which ranks 19th in the majors over that stretch.
The cracks showed again Tuesday night against the Rays, when Will Warren was tagged for six earned runs. It was the kind of outing that underlined how much less certain things feel now than they did a few months ago, when six innings from a starter seemed almost automatic.
The Yankees are also dealing with injuries that have changed the picture. Carlos Rodon and Max Fried are out right now, even though the team opened the year with Rodon and Gerrit Cole on the shelf and still managed to put together one of the better starter ERAs in baseball.
What’s changed is the balance of the roster. The bullpen, which was supposed to be the weak link, has actually been the club’s best unit since June 1. Even with Camilo Doval’s implosions, the Yankees’ 2.20 bullpen ERA in that span leads all of baseball.
That doesn’t mean New York can ignore relief help at the deadline. It just means the rotation has climbed higher on the list of needs than it was two months ago. Warren and Ryan Weathers are not as dependable as they once were, and there are still holes to cover until Fried and Rodon are back.
One clear goal for the deadline is to find a potential fourth starter for the playoff rotation, especially with Rodon sounding like a touch-and-go situation. If not that, then the Yankees need quality depth that can absorb innings right now.
The biggest names expected to be discussed are Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan. Both would cost a massive prospect package, but either would give the Yankees the kind of rotation flexibility that matters in October. Aaron Boone would have the chance to hand the ball to someone capable of delivering six or seven strong innings, no matter how long a series goes.
If the Yankees are looking more for depth than a headline move, Antonio Senzatela of the Colorado Rockies is one option. He’s working as a long man now, but he has spent most of his career as a starter.
This season, he has a 2.93 ERA in 46 IP. He wouldn’t be expected to see much postseason work unless things went badly, but he has been a useful arm in a tough pitching environment.
Michael Wacha is another name to keep in mind. He’s with the Kansas City Royals and leads all of baseball with 114.2 IP this season, while carrying a 3.45 ERA. Since 2022, he has been one of the steadiest pitchers in the sport, even while playing for three different teams, and he has a 3.46 ERA over that span.
If Rodon does not make it back this season, Wacha would make sense as a fourth starter. At this point, he would clearly offer more than Warren or Weathers, and his experience would give the Yankees another reliable option.
However they choose to approach it, the message is getting clearer: the Yankees’ rotation needs help, and the deadline may be the place to fix it.
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Will Warren Has Become A Real Yankees Rotation Concern
Will Warrens season has taken a sharp turn in recent weeks, and the Yankees have felt it in the standings and in the rotation. After a strong first seven starts, the right-hander has stumbled badly over his last 11 outings, carrying a 5.34 ERA through that stretch and repeatedly putting the club in early trouble.
The bigger concern for New York is how quickly the outings have shortened. Warren has not finished six innings since May 31, and he has already acknowledged that he is having trouble executing pitches the way he needs to. For a Yankees staff trying to stay afloat, that leaves a young arm with more questions than answers at a point in the season when stability matters most. [Read more 🡒]