The ‘difference-maker’ that has Yankees’ Will Warren more confident than last year

The last time Will Warren stepped onto a major league mound, his ERA ballooned to 10.32 in his sixth outing last season. 

On Tuesday, a more assertive, aggressive and mature — and therefore, the Yankees hope, effective — Warren will take the mound for his season debut against the Diamondbacks. 

Injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt opened the door for Warren to start this season in the rotation, but the 25-year-old right-hander also had to show this spring he is better off for going through some struggles last year. He and the Yankees believe that to be the case. 

“I don’t think there was any doubt in my mind [this spring] when throwing certain pitches,” Warren said at the end of camp. “Last year, sometimes the struggle came when I was like, ‘All right, this guy could handle this, so maybe I need to go away from that.’ I feel like this spring, it was like, ‘Four-seam fastball? Here it is, let’s see what you can do with it.’ I think that’s been the difference-maker.” 

Warren also refined his changeup and reintroduced a curveball to his arsenal, both to give him more weapons against left-handed hitters.

He also wants to get ahead earlier in counts instead of falling behind, another thing that hurt him last season.