The New York Yankees have found themselves at a crossroads in the young 2025 season. The Yankees are in first place in the American League East and look like they can compete with any team in the league.
That said, the roster does have flaws that could come back to hurt them. These flaws were highlighted by Joel Sherman of the New York Post on the latest episode of the Pinstripe Post podcast.
The New York Yankees Starting Rotation is a Huge Issue
Sherman called out the team’s shallow starting rotation, emphasizing the top-heavy nature of its production.
“Their big problem is they have two starters in the rotation that essentially give them nothing,” Sherman said. “No length, no quality.”
Sherman is referring to veteran Carlos Carrasco and youngster Will Warren. Carrasco appeared in eight games (six starts) for the Yankees this season and posted a 5.91 ERA (68 ERA+) in 32 innings. The Yankees ran out of patience with the 38-year-old and designated him for assignment earlier this week.
Carlos Carrasco’s career takes a twist as Yankees send him to Triple-A while free agency looms large https://t.co/lF3qtHnwC4
— M Sports (@MotorcycleSp) May 9, 2025
As for Warren, New York will have more patience with their former eighth-round pick. The 25-year-old has made seven starts this season and posted an ERA of 5.65 (71 ERA+) in 28.2 innings. He is younger and possesses higher upside than Carrasco right now, thus the decision to keep him over the veteran. However, Warren will have to step up his game quickly if he wants to stay in the majors.
The Yankees have turned to veteran left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough to provide length in Carrasco’s absence. While he has provided quality production (3.72 ERA (108 ERA+) in 19.1 innings), he is not a solidified MLB starter at this point in his career. Yarbrough can pitch well and offer length, but is more of a swing-man out of the bullpen than a bona fide starter.
The Yankees will need to fill up the back of their rotation quickly. Free agent addition Max Fried might be the Cy Young front-runner right now (1.05 ERA, 208 ERA+ in 51.2 innings). Additionally, Carlos Rodón is having his best season as a Yankee (2.96 ERA, 135 ERA+ in 48.2 innings).
This excellent top two have been hugely important, especially with ace Gerrit Cole undergoing season-ending surgery earlier in the year. Clarke Schmidt recently returned from the injured list and offers a high-upside, but unproven, third option in the rotation. That said, New York might take it slow with him, thus increasing the dependency on the bullpen during his starts.
That is a huge issue considering Warren’s struggles and the team’s lack of a fifth starter right now. Veteran Marcus Stroman and reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil are currently with Cole on the injured list. Both are expected back this season, but are likely at least a month away.
The Yankees might be able to survive the next few weeks with metaphorical band-aids on the rotation. But eventually, the team will need to bring in serious reinforcements if it wants to return to the World Series.