Carlos Rodon’s Poor Start Puts Him In A Position Where He Needs To Prove His Place In Yankees

No matter what occurred in his last start of the season last year, Carlos Rodon’s first Yankees season was going to be a huge letdown. However, Rodon could have at least had a positive last memory going into the summer with a strong performance against the Kansas City Royals. It did not occur.

Carlos Rodon’s Poor Start Puts Him In A Position Where He Needs To Prove His Place In Yankees

Indeed, Rodon’s last outing may have been the poorest pitcher’s start of the whole campaign.

In the first inning, Rodon faced Logan Porter, the No. 8 hitter for Kansas City. It is never a good omen to face the No. 8 hitter in the opening inning. It’s worse when you face him with two on and nobody out. Having having fallen down 5-0, manager Aaron Boone eventually went out to get his struggling starter. Rodón’s line got even worse after he was pulled, as all three of his inherited runners scored.

In addition to looking the part, the left-hander is ready for spring training. It’s a nice place to start, even if it doesn’t promise anything in terms of pitching better or keeping healthy.

Rodon refrained from using the cliché of being in the best form of his life, which is as common at spring training as pitchers practicing their fielding, nor did he specify the exact amount of weight he shed.

However, he appeared to be in better form than when he hit the mound in the previous season and seemed prepared to move past his difficult first season with the Yankees.

February 12, 2024 – Pitcher Carlos Rodon of the Yankees showed up early for spring training looking very different from the previous year. The left-handed pitcher has trimmed his thick mustache and dropped some weight. Rodon is motivated to establish his value to the squad and its supporters in the following season after a lackluster 2023 campaign.

“I just feel like I got some stuff to prove and I want to stay on the field a lot longer than I did last year,” Rodon said Monday morning before throwing a bullpen session at the Yankees’ player development complex, two days before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

According to Rodon, he reported to Tampa on January 6 or 7, and his throwing development has advanced significantly already.

After an injury-plagued 2023, he is expected to throw a fourth live bullpen session on Wednesday, giving himself a good start on his 2024 training.

Rodon made 14 starts in his first campaign with the Yankees, going 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA. The expectations he had when he inked a big deal with the team were not met by his performance. The Yankees are counting on Rodon to significantly improve in his second season with the organization, as the rotation is already questionable with the departure of Gerrit Cole.

In order to enhance his performance and get into better shape, Rodon has been training extremely hard over the summer. He has been honing his pitching mechanics and concentrating on building his strength and conditioning.

“When they invest a lot of money in you, they definitely invest a lot of time and contact with you,” he said. “So it was good. We had a good plan. Started throwing pretty early. Started moving in the weight room pretty early. A lot earlier than normal. So I’ve been throwing a lot, just trying to stay ready.”

Although he claimed to be unsure of his exact weight loss throughout the summer, Rodon indicated it was more about changing his body’s composition.

“I know I’ve got to be better,” Rodon said when asked about outside criticisms. “Listen, I’ll be transparent with you. All of us are human. We hear everything. Now whether that eats at you, or do you actually listen and dive into it, that’s a person-by-person basis. But you’re eventually going to crack an egg when you hear it a thousand times. I know I’m being transparent and honest: It is hard, but as a New York Yankee that is our job to keep that shell tough. Good thing it was the end of the year and I got to move on and forget about baseball and come back refreshed and let’s start at it again.”

The Yankees and their supporters will be attentively observing Rodon when he hits the mound for spring training to see whether he can live up to his promise and help guide the club to victory in the next season. It remains to be seen if Rodon’s perseverance and hard work will pay off, but one thing is for sure: he is committed to proving himself and leaving a lasting impression on the squad.

How is Carlos Rodon doing?

Rodon hasn’t been very steady lately, going 21.2 innings with a 6.65 ERA in his previous four appearances. All things considered, Rodon’s debut season with the Yankees has not gone well; going into his final start of the season, which is now planned for late next week in Kansas City, he has a 5.74 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts.

Where is Carlos Rodón from?

Rodón was born in Florida’s Miami. His mother is a Cuban-American, while his father left Cuba in 1967 when he was five years old. When he was a youngster, the family relocated to Holly Springs, North Carolina. Rodón participated in the baseball team at Holly Springs High School.

Is Carlos Rodon hispanic?

The 9-year-old son of Cuban-Americans who relocated to North Carolina, Rodon became one of the best pitchers in the state as a high school senior and was closely scrutinized when back spasms reduced his velocity and depressed him in the draft.

 

 

FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE-

How Much Will Super Bowl Players Get Paid? Bonus Revealed