Yankees' pitching prospect showcases ‘nasty stuff’ in perfect spring start

The Yankees reported to camp this spring with a surplus of big-league starting pitching.

Marcus Stroman has been the focus, the No. 6 starter on the Yankees’ depth chart after the club signed Max Fried in free agency this past offseason.

Stroman’s presence is a good problem to have, but his situation will require a resolution before Opening Day. He’s adamant that he’s not moving to the bullpen and if everyone in the Yankees’ starting staff stays healthy, something has to give. That’s where the trade rumors for the $18 million arm come into play.

Prospect Will Warren is quickly pitching his way into those same conversations, though.

Warren is up to five scoreless innings over his first two outings in spring training this month. He tossed three perfect frames in Wednesday’s 7-0 win over the Cardinals at Steinbrenner Field, striking out four of the nine hitters he faced in dominant fashion.

“I feel like he’s better,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Warren after Wednesday’s win. “The arsenal continues to improve.”

Warren struggled in his first taste of big-league action last summer. One of the highest-ranked pitchers in the Yankees' system, Warren pitched in six MLB games and posted a 10.32 ERA. Opposing hitters had a .340 batting average with a 1.012 OPS against the right-hander.

After his spotless three innings of work on Wednesday, Warren explained that he used last year’s results as a learning experience. He recognized that he fell behind hitters far too much last season. Being more aggressive early in counts has allowed him to be more comfortable and confident thus far. Picking the brains of other experienced starters in the Yankees' clubhouse — like Fried and ace Gerrit Cole — has helped tremendously as well.

“Looking back at some stuff from last year, I was always fighting back I felt like,” Warren said. “These are the greatest hitters in the world, so when you’re setting it up for them to have success, it’s hard to pitch. Just getting ahead and attacking.”

Warren, 25, also brought an old pitch back this spring. He’s sprinkling in the curveball that he threw over his first few seasons in the Yankees’ system, a pitch he eventually abandoned to focus on the rest of his repertoire.

As Boone put it, Warren already has the stuff to “overwhelm” right-handed hitters, but this curveball gives him an additional look for when he’s trying to neutralize lefties. It’s the same curve that Clarke Schmidt uses when facing left-handed bats.

“He’s doing a lot of really good things right now,” Boone said, “and as the arsenal gets bigger, it’s just going to allow the ceiling to go a little higher, especially as a starting pitcher.”

If Warren can continue to excel this spring, showing how much he’s improved since last summer, he could be the next man up in the rotation should the Yankees offload Stroman. JT Brubaker and Carlos Carrasco could also fit that mold as rotation insurance, but Warren has always had immense potential. This spring might be the beginning of a breakthrough.

“I think he’s going to be an important part of the team,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said, per MLB.com. “He’s got nasty stuff.”

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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.