3 Yankees non-roster spring training invitees who will make MLB by end of 2024

Art Warren

The Yankees sneakily stashed Warren, a former Reds flamethrower, last year while he underwent and rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. You know, much like the Red Sox did with James Paxton and Michael Fulmer, with the sole difference being those pitchers were famous, while Warren's talent flew under the radar.

The 30-year-old right-hander (31 by Opening Day) posted a sterling debut in Cincinnati in 2021, striking out 34 men in 21 innings pitched with a 1.29 ERA/1.84 FIP. Things went sideways in '22, but the strikeout numbers didn't dip much (40 in 36 innings, with just 37 hits allowed). Warren's control and command both deserted him, but there's a good chance some of that was related to the injury he was couching and eventually succumbed to. Good pitchers with sturdy frames and 77th percentile heaters don't forget how to pitch year-over-year. WHIPs don't rise from 0.905 to 1.639 without a little chicanery. We know exactly what was eventually revealed to have been wrong with Warren. It's fair to assume the balky elbow affected him sooner than he let on publicly.

Now, the Yankees will give him a showcase opportunity at camp, with several Scranton Shuttle seats still open in this year's bullpen. Apologies to Ron Marinaccio, but none of the incumbents really have a clearer path to contributing than wild cards like Warren do. The Yankees have saved him in a glass case for this opportunity. Let's see if he can break the pane with his advanced fastball.