Carlos Rodon Still Displaying Encouraging Signs Despite Rocky Start vs. Mets

Despite a lack of command, Carlos Rodòn is slowly getting back to being the pitcher the New York Yankees need.e

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Things haven't been easy for Carlos Rodòn since returning to the New York Yankees. He's still trying to figure things out.

In Rodòn's debut against the Milwaukee Brewers, he was pulled in the fifth inning after walking five batters. The spiral in that game came in the fourth inning. He was cruising through three before ultimately walking William Contreras and Gary Sánchez and plunking Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers were able to take a 3-2 lead from there.

Against the Mets, it was much the same. Rodòn had three walks, and what doomed him was an errant throw that allowed the Mets to take the lead. Rodon was pulled after 3.2 innings.

Mets take the lead after Carlos Rodon tried to catch his own wild pitch but instead had another wild throw pic.twitter.com/ZonNpkjBCM

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 17, 2026

Understandably, Rodòn is still trying to find himself in the early goings of the year after missing a chunk of it. For one, he's still rusty from the late start. Then, there's the fact that Rodòn has to essentially figure out a new way to pitch. Last year, he threw with loose bodies in his elbow, and even that probably requires some sort of adjustment.

Even with this slow start, there have been some encouraging signs. Despite the quick pull, Rodòn had six strikeouts and generated 12 swings-and-misses.

The Mets were able to barrel two balls against him, and both were doubles by Brett Baty and Carson Benge, but outside of that, he didn't exactly get rocked. Altogether, they had an 89.5 MPH average exit velocity against him.

It hasn't been great, but if the strikeouts weren't there, and Rodòn's pitches were getting launched out of the park with regularity, there would probably be more cause for concern. Instead, it just looks like a pitcher who is knocking the rust off. If 12 swinging strikes is what he looks like when he's rusty, what does a Rodòn look like when he's rolling?

Harshest on himself

Even with those silver linings, Rodòn has been his own toughest critic.

"I just gotta put it all together," Rodón said, according to the Daily News' Gary Phillips. "It's not a two-inning game. We play nine innings here."

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

He also got on himself for that bad throw, which allowed two runs to score. That turned out to be the turning point for the Mets, and they never looked back, even if they gave the Yankees multiple opportunities to come from behind.

"I was trying to give a good fastball in the zone, and I threw it above the umpire," Rodón continued. "Stupid play. I tried to make a superhero play on the ball. That's one I gotta eat. Just got a little ambitious with that throw, so a mistake there that can't happen."