Healthier Yankees Pitcher Could Be in For Bigger Season

Carlos Rodón had his best season with the New York Yankees. He probably would have liked for it to end on a better note, but in the regular season, it was the type of year the Yankees hoped for when they signed him to his big six-year and $162 million deal before the 2023 season.

Rodón started 33 games and hurled 195.1 innings. Both are career highs. He also struck out 203 batters and pitched to a 3.09 ERA. His 28 Run Value, according to Baseball Savant, was in the 97th percentile.

Aug 6, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) catches a ball during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

It's hard to imagine that, despite pitching the way he did, Rodón was playing hurt. He mentioned to NJ.com's Randy Miller that he wasn't close to 100% last season, and that was a mental hurdle for him all year.

"The frustrating part is I knew I had more, but when your body's betraying you, it's an interesting battle," Rodón told Miller. "It's pretty dynamic in your head when you're going through that."

Rodón then mentioned that, because he was winning games, he couldn't take himself off the mound and tell the Yankees that he was hurting. The pitcher who couldn't lift his arm over his head for much of 2025 still managed career highs in a few categories, which is a remarkable feat in such a tough sport.

"Being a guy that's been on the IR a lot, a good part of his career, just missing that time sucks," he continued. "Not being able to compete, it's hard. I'd rather be pitching. If I think I can pitch at 80 percent or whatever it is and help the team win then, I'm gonna do that because that's what I was brought here to do, compete and try to win baseball games. So that's why I kept going. I was winning games, and we were winning games. I couldn't just say, 'I can't pitch.'"

The Chance for a Better 2026

Rodón won't start the 2026 season on time. That's the price he pays for pitching hurt last season. Once he is back, though, the expectation should be that he will be even better.

If Rodón was able to post a 3.09 ERA with limited range of motion in his arm, it will be intriguing to see what he can do with a clean bill of health. His 25.7% strikeout rate and 30.3% whiff rate were all above average. Rodón's 7.5% barrel rate and 88.6 MPH Average Exit Velocity were above average as well. It's the type of numbers most big leaguers aren't even able to pull off over the course of a full season without issues.

A rotation with Rodón and Gerrit Cole healthy, alongside Max Fried, who played the role of ace perfectly in their former Cy Young award winner's absence, could be the best in the sport on paper. It's hard to imagine a better trio in October if those three are rolling the way everybody knows they're capable of.

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