The Yankees promoted pitching prospect Will Warren to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last week bringing him closer to his MLB debut. Since being selected in the first round of the organization’s farm system two years ago, the right-hander had been pitching well at Double-A Somerset.
The No. 2 pitching prospect for the Yankees is now just one step away from making his major league debut. That might not be too far off, considering the Yankees’ lack of positional depth in the upper levels of their minor league system as a result of the team’s aggressive approach to last summer’s trade deadline.
MLB Pipeline has Warren as the Yankees’ seventh-best prospect after he had a 2.45 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 29 and third innings in six starts for Double-A Somerset. This month, the eighth-round pick from Southern Louisiana dominated Double-A Binghamton and Portland, tossing a combined six scoreless innings.
Yankees promoted the pitching prospect
Warren was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday and is currently the organization’s top pitching prospect. He is the third top-30 pitching prospect at Triple-A, joining fellow right-handers Randy Vasquez (No. 12) and Sean Boyle (No. 28) in the RailRiders’ rotation. With nine starts each, Vasquez and Boyle have posted respective ERAs of 4.85 and 6.40.
On Tuesday, Somerset pitching coach Grayson Crawford told NJ Advance Media that there had been a significant improvement in Will’s execution with two strikes compared to the previous year. This improvement was evident in the number of strikeouts he had achieved thus far. Crawford mentioned that although Will had walked some batters, much of it was due to his initial attempts to strike out more hitters instead of simply pitching to make contact, as he had done earlier in his career. Crawford believed that it was necessary to learn how to make batters miss, and they were observing progress in that regard.
The pitching coach had a sneaking hunch that Warren was about to be promoted.
The Yankees strategy
When this time last year rolled around, the Yankees’ upper-level affiliates were stocked with many young, promising pitchers. They had to give up JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, Hayden Wesneski, and others in order to make a late-game acquisition of Frankie Montas. The value of that section of the Yankees’ farm system has decreased as a result of such moves. With acquired pitchers Frankie Montas, Scott Effross, and Lou Trivino all sidelined due to throwing arm ailments, the failure of those trades to bear fruit is all the more painful.
In 2023, Warren might not be required in the major leagues. On Sunday, Luis Severino was activated off the disabled list. Although Carlos Rodon and Montas aren’t yet ready to join the big-league rotation, they should return this summer. Until everyone is fit and Domingo Germán returns from his ban for adhesive substances, the Yankees have options in Jhony Brito and Clarke Schmidt.
Warren would then have the remainder of the season to grow and improve, setting himself up for a strong spring with the major league club in 2024.
Warren is a potential MLB candidate when the Yankees need a starter only if he keeps up this scorching pace and starts dominating Triple-A batters straight away. It’s feasible that Warren would be selected over lefty Matt Krook or righty Deivi Garca, former starters who are presently pitching in Triple-A.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Since they rushed hum up to AA and it took him an off season and a rerurn to AA befire he was ready, just yake advantage of the fact he doesn’t have to be on the 40 man roster at the end of the year. But what will he really learn at AAA? Anything about pitch sequence or using what is working that particular day even if it messes up the analytical based pitching plan.
Brink him up. He probably as good as they have. Pitching is scarce in major league. Way overpaid.
2nd start last night was an unmitigated disaster.
Didn’t even make it into the 2nd inning against a so so minor league lineup.
Hopefully, it’s just a blip.