Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz delivered once again for the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate in Somerset, delivering five innings of shutout baseball with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The Patriots have loved having ERC, who in 10 starts has posted a 2.56 ERA across 56.1 innings pitched, keeping the ball on the ground and seeing the command improve as the year has gone on.
Sporting a deep pitch mix that’s continued to baffle hitters in the Eastern League, Somerset is in firm position to return to the postseason.
With Cruz continuing to flourish against better competition, he’s cemented himself as someone who could get MLB innings in 2026.
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Yankees Could Be Eyeing 2026 Debut For Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Another outing, another gem for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, as the Yankees’ side of the Carlos Narvaez trade could bear fruit in 2026.
While it’s impossible to argue that the Red Sox aren’t happy with the production they’ve gotten from Narvaez, especially considering their recent starting catchers before him, ERC could end up being a permanent fixture on New York’s staff.
The right-hander rarely allows loud contact, as most of the high exit velocity balls hit off him are on the ground, which can easily be converted into an out.
Since being promoted to Double-A, ERC has seen his groundball rate increase, but it’s not the only department where he’s been more productive.
Cruz has seen his strikeout rate increase while his walk rate has decreased, as he’s starting to look more like a top-100 prospect entering the offseason.
Few pitchers have been as productive as ERC has been this season, having the second-most pitching strikeouts (166) in Minor League Baseball while having a 2.38 ERA across 140 innings.
As he continues to throw the ball well, a conversation about whether 2026 will see him debut or not grows louder, especially considering how they utilized Cam Schlittler this year.
When he debuted, Schlittler was a better prospect than ERC is right now, but it would be better to compare the 2024 version of the tall right-hander to the current version of Cruz.
Just like Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Cam Schlittler jumped from High-A to Double-A in 2024, and while his ERA wasn’t great (4.45), the 20.4% K-BB% and 3.32 FIP would suggest he was an above-average pitcher at the level.
The Yankees envisioned having Schlittler make his MLB debut in 2025 after a solid Spring Training, and I’d argue that he was behind where ERC is right now.
What separates Cruz from most pitching prospects is his feel for a deep repertoire, his average velocity and shape seem like a hinderance, but his ability to spin the ball in all directions reliably makes him a tough at-bat.
Furthermore, there’s a ton of projectability here.
ERC’s arm angle dropped significantly from 2024 to 2025, and the Yankees could see him add another tick to his fastball velocity or tweak some shapes to get more movement.
This is a pitcher who has the upside to be a number three starter on a contender, and profiles as a reliable backend starter for now, but the same was once said about Cam Schltitler.
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