The Yankees Rotation Depth Inventory

03/05/2024 00:00

Taking stock of the Yankees' starting pitching options in the minors to see who may be the next man up.

In baseball, depth is not a luxury. It's a necessity.

While the Yankees entered the season with a five-man starting rotation, it's no secret that they'll need more than that number of starting pitchers to make it through the 2024 season.

Last year, 12 different Yankees appeared as starting pitchers. And while two (Jimmy Cordero and Ian Hamilton) were working in a brief opener role, the rest were expected to deliver more traditional starting pitcher outings.

And so it stands to reason that, when the Yankees need to fill holes in their rotation this season, they will primarily turn not to members of their bullpen but to minor-league options who are stretched out to handle a starter's workload.

Throughout the season, I'll be checking in to see how the Yankees' minor-league starters are faring, focusing particularly on their rotation at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the likely next men up in the event of a rotation opening.

Will Warren

By the numbers: 3-0, 3.95 ERA, 27.1 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 3.67 K/BB

This spring, Will Warren was one of a handful of contenders to fill the rotation spot vacated by an injured Gerrit Cole. While that job ultimately went to Luis Gil, Warren's consideration still underscored a quick ascent for the Yankees' eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

Now ranked by MLB as the Yankees' seventh-best prospect (and second-best pitching prospect), the 24-year-old Warren began the season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and struggled mightily out of the gates, enduring a brutal 2024 debut in which he allowed five runs while recording only one out.

Since then, the right-hander has impressed, going 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts. Warren's 33 strikeouts rank fourth across the minors, eight behind phenom Paul Skenes' pace, despite squandering his first start.

Warren, who features a mid-80s slider as well as four-seam and two-seam fastballs, appears poised to make the jump to the big-league squad once an opportunity arises. Based on the way Aaron Boone has described Warren flatly as "a starter," and the fact that the Yankees would need an open spot on their 40-man roster to elevate him to the active roster, the club may wait for an extended opportunity to push that button, allowing their prized prospect a legitimate shot at holding down a starting role upon his arrival rather than calling him up for a spot start or long relief work.

Clayton Beeter

By the numbers: 3-1, 2.74 ERA, 23 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 2.69 K/BB

August 2nd of 2022 was a day not of exaltation but relief for most followers of the Yankees. It was the day the franchise moved on from Joey Gallo, whose tenure in the Bronx had been disappointing and frustrating.

In return for the diminished Gallo, the Dodgers sent the Yankees Clayton Beeter, a fringe prospect who had a 5.75 ERA in Double-A at the time of the deal. He had a 2.13 ERA the rest of the way in New York's system, though, and has steadily climbed to be MLB's 13th-ranked Yankee prospect (sixth among pitchers).

Beeter was in the mix for a rotation spot this spring as well and, while he lost that battle, he did pitch his way onto the Opening Day roster. It was short-lived, as he was reassigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after tossing one scoreless inning in the Yankees' second game of the season.

The right-hander has been solid at Triple-A thus far despite allowing his share of baserunners, in part because he is yet to surrender a home run through five starts. The fact that Beeter is already on the Yankees' 40-man could give him an edge over Warren should an opening arise. It's also a possibility that he could be called up once again to serve in a long relief role, gaining MLB experience while taking some pressure off the rest of the Yankees' beleaguered bullpen arms.

Cody Poteet

By the numbers: 2-0, 1.74 ERA, 20.2 IP, 0.77 WHIP, 5.0 K/BB

The only member of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation to have started a game for the Yankees, Cody Poteet surpassed expectations during an April 13th spot start against the Guardians, permitting a lone run across six innings in a Yankee victory. The 29-year-old veteran has also performed well at Triple-A in his first extended action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, allowing just four walks and four runs in 20.2 innings of work.

The oldest player on this list by over four years, Poteet is no longer a prospect so much as he is an insurance policy. Still, Poteet is turning heads by proving that he can pitch competitive innings against elite competition on a consistent basis. While Warren and Beeter offer more upside, the Yankees may elect to ride with Poteet's steady hand once again should a spot start arise.

Yoendrys Gómez

By the numbers: 0-1, 4.60 ERA, 15.2 IP, 1.40 WHIP, 2.86 K/BB

Yoendrys Gómez made his Yankee debut last season, tossing two scoreless innings in a September matchup with the Blue Jays. At the time of that appearance, though, he had never pitched above Double-A.

Now settled in at Triple-A, it's been a mixed bag to start the year for Gómez. The right-hander has showcased the stuff that makes him MLB's 17th-best Yankee prospect (and eighth-best pitcher), striking out 20 in just 15.2 innings.

Unfortunately, he's also allowed 15 hits and seven walks. The 24-year-old is not stretched out to handle a starter's workload, either, having yet to throw more than 3.1 innings or 61 pitches in any of his five starts. While Gómez is on the 40-man roster and, therefore, could conceivably be called up once again for a brief, innings-eater stint with the Yankees, he's unlikely to factor into their rotation plans anytime soon.

Edgar Barclay

By the numbers: 2-1, 3.09 ERA, 23.1 IP, 1.37 WHIP, 2.0 K/BB

A former 15th-round draft pick, Edgar Barclay has taken the road less traveled to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Never having pitched above High-A before last season, the left-hander excelled at Double-A Somerset (1.32 ERA in 34 innings) before getting the promotion to Triple-A.

He struggled mightily there, though (5.89 ERA in 44.1 innings). And, while his ERA has been more stable this season, Barclay is walking more than a half-batter per inning and has already allowed three unearned runs, suggesting his numbers are masking the mediocrity of his true performance. On neither the Yankees' 40-man roster nor MLB's list of the team's top-30 prospects, Barclay still has work to do before he can be considered a plausible candidate to join the big club.

Considering the perennial scarcity of starting pitching across baseball, it's encouraging that the Yankees have three legitimate, in-house options to fill a rotation spot should one become open. Which of Warren, Beeter, and Poteet next makes an MLB start will likely depend on the timing and anticipated duration of the opening, with Warren or Beeter the most likely candidates for an extended role and Poteet the lead choice for a spot start or two.