The New York Yankees have promoted Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz from Double-A to Triple-A according to Richard Arroyo of Desde El Dugout.
Ranked as the top pitching prospect in the Yankees’ organization, Cruz leads all of Minor League Baseball in pitching strikeout (173) and will be promoted for the second time this season.
He began the year in High-A before being promoted to Double-A, sporting a 2.42 ERA as he dominated hitters with ease even after being moved up a level.
Acquired from the Red Sox for Carlos Narvaez, the Yankees have high hopes for what Cruz can do for them in 2026, and is now just one step away from the big leagues.
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Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz Just One Level Away From Joining the Yankees
It’s been an incredible season for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, who has quickly become the top-ranked prospect inside the Yankees organization on the pitching side.
We plan to rank him inside the top three at the conclusion of the 2025 season, and his promotion to Triple-A solidifies the internal belief in his talent.
Sporting a fastball sitting around 95-96 MPH, Cruz has relied more on a sinker shape than his four-seam shape to great success.
He has a nasty sweeper with good two-plane movement, as these two pitches headline a deep six-pitch repertoire that he mixes in throughout a ballgame.
The Somerset Patriots had their season come to an end tonight as the Binghamton RumblePonies swept them out of the Eastern League playoffs.
With ERC not getting the ball in the series, it opened the door for him to get another start with the Scranton RailRiders, potentially pitching in the postseason as well.
He’ll be facing competition much older than himself at a run-heavy environment, but his 2.64 ERA and 2.28 FIP in Double-A indicated that he needed a new challenge.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz’s promotion has not been officially announced by either affiliate, but seeing that he has reposted numerous posts congratulating him from Richard Arroyo’s initial report, the announcement should come shortly.
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