Sunday afternoon in the Bronx carried the feel of a throwback to Yankee glory. CC Sabathia’s Hall of Fame plaque shone under the sun as it rested on the mound. A golden reminder of the giant who once ruled this stage. Fans cheered, clutching their replicas, as the stadium celebrated the lefty who dragged New York to a 2009 title and made the weight of the pinstripes look lighter than it really is. But legacies in the Bronx don’t just sit in glass cases; they hover in the air, daring the next player to pick them up. And now, more than a decade after Sabathia, another left-hander is starting to answer that challenge. He’s not only throwing the kind of innings New York demands; he’s beginning to carry himself like the voice of the room, the guy teammates lean on when the schedule and the pressure start to pile up.

That pitcher is Carlos Rodón, the Yankees’ $162 million ace. For much of the summer, the conversation revolved around Gerrit Cole’s absence and whether the rotation could withstand the pressure. But Rodón has not only stabilized the staff with numbers that scream dominance, a league-low .187 opponent average, 16 wins in 29 starts, but he’s also started to take control of the room. His dominance on the mound has been clear, but it’s the way he has begun to carry the team’s voice that signals a true shift.

“It’s not always going to be perfect,” Rodón said after Sunday’s 4-3 win over Toronto. “There are days we beat ourselves, days the other team is better, and days where we just flat-out beat teams where it’s not even a competition. That’s the wave of baseball.”

That kind of message isn’t empty talk; it hits differently inside a clubhouse grinding through September. The Yankees have won 11 of 14 since their low point in Boston, a turnaround powered by Aaron Judge’s glove, Cody Bellinger’s bat, and Rodón’s ability to keep things level when the stakes rise. Teammates know when he takes the ball, they’re not just getting innings, they’re getting conviction.

And conviction is exactly what this team has lacked in recent years. Cole remains the gold standard, but with his voice quieted by injury, someone had to step up. Rodón has embraced the responsibility, echoing the Sabathia-Jeter dynamic of old: one star leading on the field, another reinforcing the heartbeat of the roster. In New York, that balance often separates the nearly-great from the teams that hang banners.

For fans still waiting for another Sabathia moment, Rodón’s emergence feels like more than just good timing. The plaque may have celebrated the past, but the message in the dugout suggested something more immediate: the Yankees don’t just have an ace, they may have found their new leader.

Yankees spotlight, Gerrit Cole’s quiet gesture

When the Yankees rolled out the red carpet for CC Sabathia, the spotlight was supposed to be on him. Andy Pettitte wheeled him around the outfield, and fans cheered with a tribute video spread across the screen at Yankee Stadium. Yet in the middle of all that spectacle, Gerrit Cole found a quieter way to pay respect. While the cameras were fixed on the highlights, Cole lingered by the Sabathia family’s seats and began wiping down the rain-soaked chairs. No grand announcement. No expectation of applause. Just a superstar handling a small chore so the man who came before him and his family could sit in comfort.

In New York City’s bustling atmosphere of dreams, small actions can speak volumes of significance. Sabathia earned his place in Yankees history not just by winning the World Series but also by showing leadership through modesty, toughness, and care. Cole’s career has followed a different arc, no immediate title, more heartbreaks in October, and now the uphill climb back from elbow surgery. But moments like Sunday show the through line between the two: both men have understood that wearing the Yankees uniform isn’t just about overpowering hitters; it’s about shouldering responsibility, large and small, with dignity.

That’s why the sight of Cole drying chairs for Sabathia’s family resonates more deeply than any stat line. It hinted at a continuity between eras, Pettitte to Sabathia, Sabathia to Cole, where the ace’s job isn’t only to dominate from 60 feet, 6 inches, but also to set a standard of humility for the clubhouse. Cole hasn’t yet had his championship breakthrough, the one that instantly rewrites legacies in the Bronx, but he has shown he carries the same instincts that once made Sabathia indispensable. And in a season where Cole’s right arm has been absent, gestures like these remind his teammates, and the fans, that he’s still leading, still invested, and still every bit the face of the franchise.