Will Warren has second chance to unleash his new weapon from Yankees' drubbing of Red Sox

The New York Yankees needed a statement start from Will Warren on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium as they entered a tie-breaker-deciding contest against the Boston Red Sox. Warren went ahead and delivered the best performance of his career, adding a new weapon to his arsenal in the process. Not bad!

In seven innings of work, Warren allowed just one run on six hits with seven strikeouts as the Yankees obliterated the Red Sox 16-1. It was Warren's longest outing of the season, and it dropped his 2026 ERA to 4.23 while improving his record to 9-6.

More meaningfully, the performance earned Warren a much-deserved standing ovation from the Yankee Stadium faithful. This had to feel unspeakably rewarding for the 27-year-old, who has been fighting to stay in the rotation -- and establish a sturdy reputation -- pretty much ever since debuting as a starter a little over two calendar years ago.

Yankees' Will Warren introduced an effective gyro slider during his masterclass against the Red Sox

The tremendous start for Warren on Sunday wasn't entirely stress-free, and that made it even more impressive. Warren escaped a first-inning jam after Roman Anthony’s leadoff double and a walk to Wilyer Abreu. From the second inning on, Warren caught fire and sliced through the Red Sox lineup. He handed the ball over to Tim Hill in the eighth after a 98-pitch gem that won't soon be forgotten.

In perhaps a sign of things to come, Warren introduced a new gyro slider during the outing. It's a pitch that sits between his four-seamer and his sweeper/curve, acting as a sort of bridge between his previous menu of offerings. Seeing as his use of the pitch coincided with Warren's defining start of his career thus far, you can bet that he'll be keeping the gyro slider in the game plan moving forward.

Warren's next appearance is slated to come on Friday night in relief of Max Fried, a piggyback option to help the Yankees build their ace lefty back up to starting status. The gyro slider worked wonders against the Sox. Now we get to see what Round 2 looks like.

Was this a milestone moment in Warren's career that we'll look back on as a turning point? Warren started the season strong, but he's been inconsistent of late, causing his rotation spot to come into question. But Sunday was a reminder of Warren's ceiling as a starting pitcher, even if he's still not at the point where he can provide that type of quality on a regular basis. Maybe he's beginning to figure things out.

Warren's biggest flaw up until now has been his efficiency. A 98-pitch performance was certainly a showcase of what Warren looks like when that problem is solved. Whether that solution is permanent remains to be seen.

The Yankees don't necessarily need Warren to start games for them in the playoffs. But an injury to any of New York's trio of aces would change that calculus. And looking further ahead than 2026, with Gerrit Cole not getting any younger, it's nice to know that Warren is trending in the direction of being a reliable right-hander for the future rotation.

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