Yankees Spring Training Notes: Austin Wells lobbies way into lineup; Will Warren the 'talk of camp'

Yankees spring training continued Wednesday with an impressive 7-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. During and following the game, manager Aaron Boone and catcher Austin Wells spoke with the media to talk about a number of topics.

Here are the key things to know from Yankees camp on Wednesday:

Austin Wells' spring debut

Wells was not scheduled to make his spring debut until March as Boone wanted to give the second-year catcher a breather before the grind of camp, but the AL Rookie of the Year candidate lobbied his way into the lineup on Wednesday for one reason: to catch starter Will Warren.

"I told [Boone] I was feeling good and the lives were going good," Wells told YES Network's Meredith Marakovits. "I wanted to catch Will and that was the goal for me today: to get back there and see Will in some games and get on the same page there."

The young backstop caught two of Warren's three innings and was effective at the plate. Wells took two at-bats, swung at the first pitch both times and smoked them (100 mph and 104 mph off the bat). The first was caught at the wall, while the second went over the outfielder's head for a two-run double.

While Wells had an impressive rookie season, he knows there are areas he can improve and the goal for 2025 is to be better at the plate.

"Try to improve in all areas, really. I like to be better every year and that’s my goal," Wells said. "Looking back there’s a lot to improve on but a lot to be happy about. Picking and choosing where to get better and knowing what makes me good and try to stick with that.

"I would love to hit a little bitter and be more consistent. That’s my plan going in."

Will Warren the talk of camp

Warren is considered the most major league-ready pitching prospect the Yankees have, and although he had a cup of coffee with the club last season, the right-hander is impressing his coaches and teammates this spring.

"He was aggressive in the zone and got ahead and had really good success," Wells said of Warren's performance. "I was happy for him to go out there and have a good outing."

Warren pitched three perfect innings, striking out four batters on just 35 pitches. It's the perfect follow-up to his first spring start where he struck out three and gave up one hit and one walk across two innings.

"Feels like he has a chip on his shoulder. Coming back with a little bit of vengeance and wants to improve," Wells said of what's different with Warren this year. "I’ve seen it from the start. His live BP, his last outing and this one, he’s been great. I’m excited to see what he keeps doing."

"[Warren] looks great. He’s one of those talks of the camp so far. It’s electric stuff. What we’ve seen a big improvement on in games is the changeup and the curveball a little bit. It’s something he’s going to need for the left-handed hitters," Boone explained during the YES broadcast of Wednesday's game. "He’s got that built-in sinker/slider combo that’s going to make him naturally tough on righties. It’s good to see him move the needle with the changeup and curveball. Excited with what we’re seeing."

Last season, Warren made six appearances (five starts) and scuffled. He pitched to a 10.32 ERA and struck out 29 batters across 22.2 innings pitched. Boone said Warren has taken that experience and has made noticeable improvements.

"He took his lumps a little bit [last year] but this is a guy that has a chance to be really good and continues to make strides towards that."

The Yankees' starting rotation is locked up on paper so there's likely no room for Warren in the rotation, at least to start the season, but Boone and Wells see the 25-year-old as a real player for this team in 2025.

"He’s a really confident kid," Boone said of Warren. "I’ve said it a lot but He reminds me of Clarke [Schmidt]. A few years ago you saw the promise, the arsenal you saw the stuff but took some time to continue to develop but one thing they both have is confidence in their ability.

"With Will, it’s about harnessing that, controlling that burn on the mound, which is really important, especially for starting pitchers. You want that competitive guy but for a starting pitching, you have to have a better handle on your emotions and I think he’s doing a better job of that."

"I think he's going to be an important part of the team," Wells said. "He's got nasty stuff."