Will Warren is no longer a liability against lefties, and that could be the key to his breakout season with the Yankees.

Yes, Cam Schlittler looks amazing. And yes, the same can be said about Max Fried, despite his so-so start on Sunday. But you could very well argue that Will Warren has been the most improved Yankee in the 2026 season so far.

Coming off a solid but unspectacular 2025 campaign—where he posted a 4.44 ERA, a 4.07 FIP, and a 14.9 K-BB%—Warren has taken a massive leap. Through 37.2 innings this year, he's sporting a brilliant 2.39 ERA, a 2.80 FIP, and a 25 percent K-BB%. Of course, that's a small sample compared to the 162.1 frames he threw last season. It's still premature to call him an ace or a frontline starter. But we can—and will—say he looks fantastic and could be the X-factor behind the Yankees' 2026 campaign.

The main area of improvement? His performance against left-handed hitters.

In 2025, lefties punished Warren to the tune of a .266/.350/.436 line and a .342 wOBA. Righties, by contrast, hit just .232/.283/.398 with a .294 wOBA. That was a problem—especially since he actually faced more lefties (396) than righties (315). His K-BB% against lefties was a meager 8.1 percent, compared to 23.5 percent against righties. You could also see the stark difference in WHIP (1.61 vs. 1.11) and FIP (4.76 vs. 3.29).

This year, Warren has found a way to be just as effective against lefties as he is against righties. That has unlocked a whole new level for him. Again, the sample is still small and doesn't account for potential adjustments by hitters around the league. But 37.2 innings aren't nothing, and we've seen enough improvements to be encouraged.

Here are the splits so far in 2026:

Warren vs. lefties: .208/.260/.347, .272 wOBA, 26 K-BB%, 3.36 FIP

Warren vs. righties: .239/.280/.324, .273 wOBA, 24 K-BB%, 2.22 FIP

What's behind the turnaround? Several factors. For one, the command of his fastball and sinker appears sharper. He's also not afraid to use his breaking stuff to steal strikes early in the count, then lean on the heater and sinker late. That mix has made him more unpredictable—and far more dangerous—against batters from both sides of the plate.

If Warren keeps this up, the Yankees may have found more than just a reliable arm. They might have found their next breakout star.