While much of the preseason talk centered on the New York Yankees’ potent offense, their pitching has performed quite well for itself so far this season.
How well? The Yankees set a franchise record by registering shutouts in their first two games to start the season. Should they complete the hat trick in the series finale on Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants, they’ll join the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals and 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers as the only teams to do so.
The Yankees limited the Giants to three hits in a 7-0 decision in the season opener on Wednesday. Two days later, New York pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and surrendered just one hit — Heliot Ramos’ two-out double in the second inning — in a 3-0 victory.
Will Warren will be tasked with continuing New York’s dominance on Saturday when he squares off against fellow right-hander Tyler Mahle of San Francisco.
Warren, 26, posted a 9-8 record with a 4.44 ERA with 171 strikeouts over 162 1/3 innings in 33 appearances (all starts) last season.
He made a slight adjustment heading into the season, pitching from the third-base side of the rubber during spring training. The early results were promising, as he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.42 ERA over 25 1/3 innings.
“Obviously, he had a lot of growth last year and built on it this offseason,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said, per the New York Daily News. “He moved over on the rubber for a little more deception. That’s played well. It’s given him more space in the zone for the sweeper, which I think has been a huge addition to the attack plan.”
Warren recorded his first major league win in his lone career appearance against the Giants on April 12, 2025. He allowed two runs on two hits over five innings.
Giancarlo Stanton highlighted his second straight multi-hit performance with a solo homer in the sixth inning on Friday. That came shortly after three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge ended a 0-for-7 start to the season with a two-run shot.
While the Yankees likely couldn’t be more pleased with their start to the season, the Giants are singing a different tune. San Francisco, under new manager Tony Vitello, was shut out in two straight games to start the season for the first time in franchise history.
Taken a bit further, the Giants are batting .068 as a team (4-for-59). Willy Adames and Ramos have each struck out four times, while Harrison Bader and Rafael Devers have fanned on three occasions apiece.
“I’d kind of put it on me a little bit, I got all fire and brimstone a few days ago, and I I think some good words were shared, but I also think as of right now, it’s a little emotional in there, and there’s definitely a lot of try-hard,” Vitello said. “Regardless of what the root of it is, there’s guys that are fully capable in there.”
Mahle, 31, signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Giants in January.
He is coming off a sharp but abbreviated 2025 season with the Texas Rangers, going 6-4 with a career-best 2.18 ERA. He had 66 strikeouts over 86 2/3 innings in 16 starts before shoulder fatigue curtailed his second half of the campaign.
Mahle lost his lone career encounter versus the Yankees in 2023, allowing four runs on four hits — including two homers — in 4 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
