The Yankees are counting on Carlos Rodón to be a steady presence in their rotation this season, but his early spring training performances have been anything but smooth. The $162 million lefty has been getting hit hard in live batting sessions, surrendering loud contact, including a home run to Jasson Domínguez. That trend carried over into his first spring start on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Experimenting With His Changeup
Rodón lasted 2.2 innings in his spring debut, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out just one batter. His biggest issue? Hard contact. Some of the hits he gave up reached exit velocities of 110.4 mph, a sign that his pitches weren’t fooling anyone.
That said, it’s not necessarily a cause for concern. Spring training is often about experimentation, and Rodón was doing just that, throwing his changeup 23% of the time against right-handed hitters. Last season, he used that pitch just 15.6% of the time against righties, so it’s clear he’s trying to make it a more significant part of his arsenal.
Locating the Fastball Remains the Key
Rodón’s success hinges on his ability to locate his fastball up in the zone, setting up his sharp slider to generate swings and misses. That formula has worked for him in the past, but in Saturday’s outing, he struggled to elevate the heater effectively, leading to too many hittable pitches.
His velocity isn’t the issue—it’s his execution. When he’s at his best, his fastball and slider work in tandem to keep hitters off balance. If he can fine-tune that command, the results should start looking much better.
Aiming for a Stronger 2025 With the Yankees
Rodón’s 2024 season was a step in the right direction after a disastrous debut campaign in New York. He tossed 175 innings with a 3.96 ERA, striking out over 10 batters per nine innings while stranding 79.2% of baserunners. It wasn’t ace-level production, but it was a massive improvement from his injury-plagued 2023, when he posted a 6.85 ERA over just 64.1 innings.
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The Yankees don’t need Rodón to be their best pitcher—that’s Gerrit Cole’s job—but they do need him to be a dependable No. 3 behind Cole and Max Fried. If he can clean up his fastball location and successfully integrate the changeup, he’ll be in a much better spot heading into the season.