Adam Warren
| IP | 492 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.232 |
| BB/9 | 3.128 |
| SO/9 | 7.829 |
- Full name Adam Parrish Warren
- Born 08/25/1987 in Birmingham, AL
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 224 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School North Carolina
- Debut 06/29/2012
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Drafted in the 4th round (135th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2009 (signed for $195,000).
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North Carolina righthander Adam Warren wasn't considered on the same level as other Tar Heels pitcher as a prospect, but the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder had a breakout senior season and was the team's most consistent pitcher. He was 29-4 over the last three seasons entering super regional play, and his stuff took a step forward this spring. Warren figures to go in a single-digit round after improving the velocity on his four-seam fastball and honing his command. He was hitting 94 mph late in the season and sitting 88-92. He has added a two-seam fastball and cutter over the years to go with his solid-average changeup. He throws a slow, early-count curveball, and his inability to spin a better breaking ball is his biggest limitation.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Warren started 2012 as part of a highly touted Triple-A rotation, and he was the only prospect left when the playoffs rolled around, as Manny Banuelos got hurt, Dellin Betances got demoted, D.J. Mitchell got traded and David Phelps spent most of the season in New York. Warren joined him in late June, failed to make it out of the third inning against the White Sox and quickly found himself back in Triple-A. Warren is a durable, physical veteran whose fastball sits at 90-93 mph and touches 94-95. He pitches off his four-seamer and mixes in a two-seamer at times, then goes to his curveball, slider and changeup. More often than not, the slider is his best secondary pitch, though it's really more of a cutter. He's not overpowering but throws strikes and usually gives his team a chance to win. Warren didn't get a second chance in 2012 after Chicago shellacked him, but he remains on the 40-man roster and will head back to Triple-A as big league rotation insurance. -
Warren went 32-4 in college at North Carolina, and four of his 2009 teammates already have reached the major leagues. He had a breakthrough year in 2010, jumping to Double-A to end his first full pro season, but had a modest 2011 campaign in his first run at Triple-A. He didn't get a win after June 20, losing his final six decisions even though his peripheral stats improved as the year progressed. Warren pitches off his 89-93 mph fastball and touches 94-95 fairly regularly. He has quickened his tempo as a pro and has incorporated his legs more into his delivery to improve his velocity from his amateur days. Warren's slider also has gotten better and is a solid pitch at times. His curveball and changeup remain fringy, and his key will be throwing them for strikes to keep hitters from sitting on his heat. His command of his secondary pitches improved in the second half of 2011, but when he missed, he was vulnerable to home runs. He gave up 13 longballs last year after yielding just four in 2010. Warren profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and for the Yankees he's more important as depth than as a key part of their future. He could get a chance to earn a long-relief role in 2012, but more likely he'll return to Triple-A. -
North Carolina signed Warren as a fairly high-profile recruit, a surprise considering his father played football as a punter at rival North Carolina State. He went 31-4 in his three seasons with the Tar Heels, getting a bit better each year, and his rate of improvement has accelerated since he signed as a fourth-round pick in 2009. He finished his first full season in Double-A, racking up 18 strikeouts in 11 innings in the Eastern League playoffs. The Yankees saw dividends from small tweaks they made in his delivery, incorporating more of a hip turn, using his legs more and quickening his tempo. Being a bit less robotic helped Warren push his fastball velocity to 90-94 mph with a high of 96, and also gave him more deception. His fastball has late life and he commands it well. It can be a swing-and-miss pitch in the strike zone at its best, as evidenced when he set a Trenton franchise record with 15 strikeouts (11 on fastballs) in seven innings in mid-August. Warren also throws a curveball and a cutter/slider. Scouts prefer the latter, as it helps him get groundballs, but don't love either breaking ball. He also throws a changeup, but it's fringe-average at best. Warren's fastball is his meal ticket, but he'll go as far as his secondary stuff takes him. He's headed back to Double-A to start 2011. -
Warren went 32-4 in his career at North Carolina, pitching in three College World Series. His fastball velocity gradually increased with the Tar Heels, peaking at 94 mph last spring, but the Yankees were unprepared for his breakout performance after he signed for $195,000 as a fourth-round pick last June. Not only did Warren help pitch Staten Island to the New York-Penn League championship, but his four-seam fastball sat at 93-95 mph at times. He's not likely to sit at that velocity in the long term, but his customary 90-92 mph velocity from college would be more than enough. He commands his two-seam and four-seam fastballs very well, and he adds adds deception with a little hesitation in his delivery. Warren has added a cutter to give him a pitch with a wrinkle. His solid-average changeup is his best secondary pitch, and he'll use a slow curveball early in the count. He could jump to high Class A in 2010 as the Yankees are eager to see exactly what they have in him.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Warren made short work of the FSL, needing just three months in Tampa to earn a promotion to Double-A in his first full pro season. He succeeds by pitching off a heavy 90-93 mph fastball that allows him to keep the ball in the park (two homers in 81 innings) and get plenty of grounders (2.18 groundout/airout ratio). Warren's slow curveball was his second-best pitch in the FSL, while scouts in the Eastern League preferred is cutter-type slider. His solid frame doesn't have much projection remaining, and there are some concerns that he may project more as a set-up man than a starter. His sinker would be tailor made for getting tough outs in the late innings. -
Warren was a consummate winner at North Carolina, going 32-4 over his four-year career and pitching his best down the stretch of his senior year to climb into the fourth round of the draft. His polish and ability to command four pitches stood out in the NY-P, where he dominated less advanced competition. "He's got pretty intense pitchability," an NL scout said. "He can battle, he can mix, and when he wants to, he can just step on it--93, 93, 94. He's a big kid and he's got velocity." Warren pitches with an 88-92 mph fastball that features sink and armside run. He mixes in a solid-average changeup and two fringy breaking balls. He lacks a huge ceiling, but he's durable and athletic and should move quickly through the minors.
