Yankees hit three home runs and get solid outing from Elmer Rodriguez in another spring victory

The radar gun doesn’t lie. It hums, it flashes, it tells you exactly how alive a right arm is. And on Thursday afternoon in Tampa, Elmer Rodriguez looked very much alive.

Elmer Rodriguez Is For Real — Get Used To It

The Yankees grabbed their fifth Grapefruit League win in seven tries, a tidy 7-3 takedown of the Atlanta Braves at George Steinbrenner Field. Old friend Carlos Carrasco was on the wrong side of it, and that part felt almost nostalgic. Baseball’s funny like that. You blink, and yesterday’s Yankee is today’s opponent.

Rodriguez wasn’t flawless. He doesn’t need to be in February. Three innings, two runs, four punchouts, 53 pitches — that’s called progress. That’s called building something.

Seven whiffs. Four on the changeup alone, which was particularly impressive. That pitch isn’t just a show-me offering anymore; it’s a weapon. His fastball averaged 95.3 mph and kissed the upper-90s when he reached back for more.

This is what a big-league starter looks like before he’s officially a big-league starter.

His spring ERA now sits at 3.00, and while spring numbers can be fool’s gold, the underlying traits aren’t. Velocity. Feel for a secondary pitch. The confidence to throw it in any count. Those things translate. They always have.

The only thing standing between Rodriguez and the Bronx is opportunity — and health. The Yankees’ rotation isn’t carved in granite. Over a 162-game grind, arms bark. Spots open. And when they do, Rodriguez won’t be some wide-eyed kid. He’ll be ready.

The Bats Woke Up — And They’re Loud

The offense? Thunder.

Paul Goldschmidt went deep again, pushing his spring OPS to a cartoonish 1.583. It’s February, sure, but that kind of number jumps off the page and slaps you in the face. The Yankees gave him $4 million because they believed there was something left in the tank. Right now, the tank looks full.

Then there’s Spencer Jones, who keeps flexing that top-prospect muscle. Two homers this spring, easy power, the kind that doesn’t look forced. He’s 6-foot-6 and swings like he knows it. When he squares one up, it sounds different. Sharper. Meaner.

And finally, Jazz Chisholm Jr. got his first of the spring. About time. His bat speed has never been the issue; it’s consistency that’s haunted him. When he’s right, he changes the temperature of a lineup. You feel it.

Three home runs in one afternoon. That’s not small-ball experimentation. That’s damage.

The bullpen quietly handled its business, too. Camilo Doval gave up a run but struck out two in his inning of work, flashing the kind of late life that makes hitters uncomfortable. Cade Winquest, Yerry De Los Santos, and Angel Chivilli kept the scoreboard clean. Nothing dramatic. Just outs.

That’s how good teams operate. Loud swings up top, quiet efficiency behind them.

The Yankees head to Fort Myers next, where Luis Gil is set to duel Cole Sands at Lee Health Sports Complex. It’s still Grapefruit League baseball. The games don’t count. The sun’s bright, the rosters are bloated, and half the crowd is wearing flip-flops.

But the radar gun counts. The swings count. The confidence building inside a young right-hander’s arm absolutely counts.

Elmer Rodriguez isn’t knocking on the door anymore. He’s standing on the porch. And the Yankees can hear him.