When the New York Yankees handed Carlos Rodón a six-year, $162 million deal before the 2023 season, the expectation was simple: bring a power lefty presence to the top of the rotation and help end the franchise’s World Series drought. Instead, his debut campaign spiraled into one of the worst years of his career, a season so disastrous that many wondered if he would ever live up to the pinstripes.
Rodón didn’t just struggle — he unraveled. Arm and back injuries kept him limited to just 64.1 innings, and his 6.85 ERA felt more like a nightmare than an adjustment period. Each start became a reminder of expectations unmet, and the Bronx crowd let him know it with boos that echoed louder than his fastball. For a pitcher once considered among the nastiest southpaws in the game, the humbling was severe.
A Season of Redemption
In 2024, Rodón began to claw his way back. He tossed 175 innings, striking out 195 while posting a 3.96 ERA. His stuff returned to some degree, his velocity sharpened, and with it came flashes of the pitcher the Yankees had invested in. But October told a harsher story. A 5.60 postseason ERA left scars, not because he couldn’t miss bats, but because of untimely home runs that turned otherwise strong outings into forgettable ones. Yankee fans remained skeptical — forgiving in flashes, but not ready to embrace him as the frontline starter they’d been promised.
That set the stage for 2025. For Rodón, this wasn’t just about numbers; it was about respect.
A Career Year in Pinstripes
This season, Rodón delivered his finest work yet in New York. He logged 195.1 innings, struck out 203, and carved out a sharp 3.09 ERA. His WHIP fell to a sparkling 1.05, while opponents managed only a .187 average against him. The home run problem that haunted him in 2024? Gone. He tightened up his command and forced hitters to earn every base.
Thursday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, his former team, served as a fitting capstone. Rodón spun his sixth straight quality start, pitching at least six innings and allowing three runs or fewer yet again. That stretch has him entering the postseason not just as a capable No. 2 behind Max Fried, but as a co-ace — the kind of pitcher who can tilt a playoff series.
From Villain to Anchor
Rodón’s journey in New York feels like a movie arc. From the boo birds in 2023 to the cautious optimism of 2024 and now the thunderous approval in 2025, he has rebuilt both his reputation and his rhythm. He’s gone from looking like a sunk cost to becoming the embodiment of resilience.
If Aaron Judge provides the Yankees’ star power in the lineup, Rodón is the reminder on the mound that this team can grind through October. His turnaround is proof that patience, as agonizing as it can be in the Bronx, sometimes pays off. Like a skyscraper rebuilt on stronger foundation after a collapse, Rodón has made himself sturdier and more reliable than before.
October Awaits
The real test, of course, begins now. The regular season numbers are spectacular, but Yankees fans know October is where legacies are made or broken. Rodón is positioned to flip the narrative entirely, no longer the pitcher who faltered when the lights shone brightest, but the one who can help bring New York back to the top.
A World Series run with Rodón dealing alongside Fried could rewrite his story forever. After two years of doubt and redemption, the lefty finally looks ready to deliver exactly what the Yankees paid for — and perhaps more.
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