Promising Yankees Arm Strikes Out Orioles' Top Prospect in First Spring Training Game

The young hurler made a statement to open the spring

Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Yankees baseball hats and gloves in the dugout out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Spring training games are officially underway, and baseball fans are already getting a look at some big-name prospects in action.

The first spring training game of 2026 featured the New York Yankees facing off against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. While the Orioles rolled out a lineup mostly featuring players who could be a part of the big league team on Opening Day, the Yankees countered by starting one of their top pitching prospects, Elmer Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, New York's No. 3 prospect in 2025 and MLB Pipeline's No. 82 prospect for 2026, threw three shutout innings in his first spring training game of the season, giving up three hits and no walks while striking out one. That lone strikeout, though, came in the first inning when Rodriguez blew a 95 mph fastball by Samuel Basallo, the Orioles' top prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 8 overall prospect for 2026.

While the Yankees' 22-year-old hurler didn't rack up the strikeouts in this game, he did induce multiple groundouts, including an inning-ending double play. And Rodriguez's final out of the afternoon came on a diving catch by center fielder Kenedy Corona, robbing Pete Alonso of his first hit in an Orioles uniform.

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What can Yankees fans expect from Elmer Rodriguez in 2026?

Feb 20, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (76) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during spring training at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Rodriguez's scoreless outing to kick off the spring gave Yankees fans a glimpse into the future. But even though the young arm had a solid performance against an Orioles lineup mostly consisting of big league hitters, fans may need to temper their expectations a bit.

The 22-year-old made 26 starts in the minors last year, collecting 176 strikeouts in 150 innings. However, Rodriguez only made one start at Triple-A, making that the more likely landing spot for him to start the 2026 season. And despite injuries to Yankees starters like Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón, New York seemingly has multiple other pitchers projected to be in the rotation ahead of Rodriguez, for now.

If Rodriguez continues to have strong outings in spring training and in the World Baseball Classic, where he's set to pitch for Team Puerto Rico, he could force the Yankees to re-evaluate their plans for the Opening Day rotation. But given his lack of experience at the highest minor league level, it seems most likely that Rodriguez and other Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange will open the 2026 season in Triple-A.

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