The New York Yankees’ major league staff has been a beacon of success with its league-leading ERA. However, the farm system is experiencing turbulence, with Clayton Beeter suffering an injury and Will Warren facing significant struggles in the minors.
On the other hand, despite the Mariners’ last two defeats in a row, the Yankees were considered the best team in MLB, with a good campaign and strong performances from their pitchers.
What’s Happening?
Promising prospects Clayton Beeter and Will Warren, once seen as potential mid-season boosts, have encountered significant setbacks. Beeter, who had been stellar this season, was recently placed on the injured list with a troubling shoulder issue. Meanwhile, Warren’s performance has nosedived in recent outings, casting doubt on his readiness for a major league promotion.
To compound the challenges, Chase Hampton, another premier Yankees pitching prospect, has been on the 60-day injured list for several weeks due to a shoulder injury and has not yet made his season debut.
Will Warren’s struggles
Will Warren’s struggle is performance-related. After a strong start to the season, the right-hander has faltered dramatically in his last three starts. In May, he has allowed an alarming 23 earned runs over 14 innings pitched, pushing his season ERA to 7.62 over nine starts.
“Just two months ago, Warren was in contention for a Yankees rotation spot during spring training,” noted Max Goodman. “His recent struggles are concerning.”
Warren’s decline is stark compared to his early-season form, where he allowed only 12 earned runs in his first six starts, totaling 27 1/3 innings. Despite facing tough Triple-A lineups like Syracuse, Rochester, and Worcester, conceding 23 earned runs is deemed unacceptable.
Warren gave up a career-high nine earned runs in Tuesday night’s miserable 12-1 loss to the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, raising his ERA on the season to 7.62. He walked four Syracuse hitters over his four innings of work, giving up six hits. In three starts this month, Warren has allowed 23 earned runs in 14 innings, serving up two home runs in each outing. That equates to a 14.79 ERA in that span with opposing hitters batting .354 against him. Yikes.
For anyone thinking Warren might be promoted soon, this performance makes it clear he’s not ready. With Gerrit Cole expected back shortly, Warren’s promotion is off the table for now. Aware of the expectations, Warren remains focused on improvement.
“It sucks,” Warren told NJ Advance Media postgame, seated at his locker in the RailRiders’ clubhouse. “Just gotta get better. Gotta just keep building off the positives and move on to the next one.”
Clayton Beeter’s injury woes
Before Tuesday’s game against the Mariners, Manager Aaron Boone informed the media that Beeter was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. Initially overshadowed by concerns about his elbow, the shoulder issue has now become more pressing.
Beeter has been a standout for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, boasting a 3-1 record with a 2.53 ERA over 32 innings, alongside an impressive .153 batting average against and a 12.38 K/9 rate. However, his control has been problematic, evidenced by a career-high walk rate of 5.91 BB/9.
“Clayton Beeter has been the best and most consistent starter for SWB,” said Boone. “It’s unfortunate to see him go down with a shoulder injury.”
The timeline for Beeter’s return remains uncertain, and he will be shut down for at least a week to assess the severity of his condition.
Looking ahead
These setbacks leave the Yankees in a precarious position. The major league pitching staff, despite its current success, now faces increased pressure to maintain health and productivity, given the lack of immediate reinforcements from the farm system.
Yankees’ management and fans alike will be closely monitoring Beeter’s recovery and hoping Warren can regain his early-season form. As the season progresses, the need for reliable backups becomes ever more critical.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
I’ve never been a believer in this group of pitching gurus under Sam Briend. They destroyed Deivi Garcia. They are way too concerned about crafting pitches than teaching these guys how to pitch. Will Warren is out on that mound, having nothing, but not only do they leave him in the game, they never have a Coach go out to him for a mound visit. But these guys don’t lose their job no matter how badly they do.