3 surprising prospects who will shine at Yankees' spring training

Somehow, some way, Yankees spring training is just two weeks away, as pitchers and catchers will report to Tampa in mid-February. Hell, some pitchers and catchers are there already; Nestor Cortes Jr. and Carlos Rodón have already reported to camp, and they're putting finishing touches on Blake Snell's locker.

Kidding. Unless you gon' do it?

With spring in the air, that means new faces in new places, trimmed-down new looks for portly superstars, and fresh prospects ready to make a good first impression. Matt Blake and the Yankees have already tipped their hands somewhat about high expectations they might have for certain names, but rest assured, a few unexpected players always emerge and seize their playing time. Last year, a boffo spring training led to Carlos Narvaez earning a 40-man spot after picking up reps in the wake of Austin Wells' injury. The Spencer Joneses and Jasson Dominguezes of the world will always get a prime spotlight in the spring, but rest assured that a few names from somewhere lower down on the prospect list will also perk your ears up this March.

3 Yankees prospects who will shine at spring training

Will Warren, RHP

The Yankees made it quite clear this week that they intend to showcase Warren and give him some MLB time this season. Whether those reps come in a fill-in starter role (apologies to Cody Poteet) or in the bullpen is anyone's guess, but Warren's rapid rise seems likely to mirror Jhony Brito's from last spring.

Except, you know, Warren has slightly more pedigree and his name should be familiar to Yankee fans.

This spring seems like high time Warren overcomes his control problems and ascends, looking much more like the guy who finished his 2023 time in Triple-A on a high note rather than the righty who started off sketch/in Drew Thorpe's shadow. Warren wrapped last season with a two-hit, 10-strikeout outing, finishing a dominant September with a single earned run allowed. That lowered his Scranton ERA to 3.61 in 21 outings, thanks in large part to his newly-shaped sweeper. Expect that pitch to catch your attention this spring in much the same way Hayden Wesneski's bender captivated audiences in 2022.