When the Yankees inked Carlos Rodón to a six-year, $162 million deal back in 2023, the vision was clear: he’d be the perfect co-ace alongside Gerrit Cole. A 1-2 punch to rival any in baseball. But just a season and change into that contract, the reality has been far less convincing.
Rodón hasn’t lived up to his billing — not even close. Instead of becoming the dependable number two behind Cole, he’s already dropped to the number three spot in the rotation. And with Cole sidelined following Tommy John surgery, Rodón’s been thrown right back into the spotlight. Only now, he’s sharing the front-end responsibility with Max Fried, the pitcher the Yankees essentially brought in to replace him.
Flashes of Brilliance, Followed by Familiar Collapse
Rodón’s raw stuff still looks electric at times. He’s striking out 10.96 batters per nine innings, with an encouraging 79th percentile whiff rate and 80th percentile strikeout rate. But it’s the unraveling that has become far too routine — a dominant few innings followed by one big swing that flips the script.
Sunday against the Giants was a textbook example. The Yankees built a 3–0 lead. Rodón looked sharp through three. But two swings from Jung Hoo Lee — both homers — completely flipped the tone. A solo shot, then a back-breaking three-run bomb off a poorly placed curveball. Just like that, the Giants were in control and the Yankees were playing catch-up again.
“I’m frustrated with two-strike pitches that end up in the zone,” Rodón said. “I just need to be better executing those, because these are big league hitters. They’re some of the best hitters in the world, and they’re punishing them.”
The Metrics Say He Should Be Better… But He’s Not
Through 23 innings, Rodón owns a 5.48 ERA. His strikeout numbers remain strong, and he’s getting more ground balls (53.8%) than in previous years. But the rest of the profile is shaky.
He’s walking more batters than usual. He’s giving up nearly two home runs per nine innings. And despite a solid batting average allowed (.208) on his four-seamer, opponents are slugging .458 against it — a sign that when they connect, they’re barreling it up.
His slider remains his best pitch. It’s sharp, deceptive, and keeps hitters honest. But the curveball? That’s a pitch he may need to bury deep in the playbook. The three-run shot to Lee on Sunday wasn’t just a mistake — it was a momentum killer.
Searching for Consistency That’s Been Elusive
Rodón’s biggest battle isn’t with his velocity or pitch shape — it’s with consistency and confidence. He looks the part of a frontline starter for stretches, then loses command and struggles to recover. That mental dip seems to show up in the most inopportune moments, and the Yankees have paid for it.
They’re not asking for perfection — just a full, clean start without the collapse. At this point, that alone would feel like a breakthrough. For $162 million, it shouldn’t feel like wishful thinking. But that’s where things stand.