“Carlos Rodon was a horse out there tonight.” He came out on top after 87 pitches, multiple jams, and two jerseys in a game where he had a lot to prove. While the New York Yankees’ $162 million ace is still trying to find stable footing on the mound this was the sort of game he needed to boost his confidence. With the Houston Astros constantly making his life difficult on the mound, the fact that Rodon limited them to just 1 run showed something remarkable was brewing in the Pinstripes’ clubhouse.

Rodon was coming off a disappointing Spring Training. However, this was a game where the vintage Rodon was almost visible. But so was the immense pressure he was under. After all, Rodon did turn the color of his jersey from light gray to dark after the Astros made him sweat through the game. “They made me work,” Rodon said to New York Post.

The Yankees entered Minute Maid Park on the back of 4 game winning streak against the Astronauts. While the Bronx Bombers won the game 7-1, Rodon’s 4 ⅓ innings weren’t anything short of total chaos. Though the star allowed only 5 hits, 4 came with two strikes. That was a symptom of a deeper lack of control that Rodon showcased momentarily during his start. 

Yes, that could be a troubling sign (he might get punished by some other team) but his performance gave a lot to be optimistic about. Mainly the fact that the Yankees’ ace averaged 95.7 mph and had a few pitches crossing the 98s. Then to see Rodon utilizing the cutter (something he didn’t do before) was also an encouraging sign. There were occasions when multiple bases were filled but Rodon’s grit helped him escape. 

“Had good stuff today but kind of all over the place,” Rodon acknowledged. But while he understood his limitations, the Yankees’ skipper seemed pleased with his pitcher’s growth.

New York Yankees’ skipper finds Carlos Rodon’s “outstanding” stuff encouraging

“I thought his stuff was outstanding,” Boone said in full support of his No.2 pitcher. “They battled some tough at-bats. But because his stuff was so good, he was able to make some big pitches to get some big outs when he did have that inevitable traffic that was there against him.” But, though the skipper loved his work, he did mention that Rodon gave the Astronauts “too good’ of pitches with two strikes. 

Still, the fact that Rodon managed to stay unpunished after such mistakes signals his growing confidence. But despite throwing 87 pitches, he ultimately pitched only 4 ⅓ innings. But in the absence of Gerrit Cole, maybe Boone doesn’t want to stretch his pitcher too soon. Then again with just 2.08 ERA, this is certainly something to build from for Rodon.

Hopefully, in his next start, Rodon will complete the game without changing jerseys. But if sweating brings out performances like this – perhaps the Yankees can keep a bunch of jerseys ready for Rodon from now on.

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