It’s a long road ahead for Carlos Rodon. The New York Yankees pitcher’s quest to return to his best has taken a few wrong turns this Spring Training. While Rodon has constantly shown signs of his brilliance, they have been marred with displays of highly questionable pitches. This inconsistency has generated an important question – is this just what the Yankees are going to get out of their $162 million pitcher?

Spring Training began with much fanfare in the Yankees Clubhouse. Multiple plots were brewing inside that facility. Some wanted to make an impact in their debut while others wanted to prove that they were good enough for the Pinstripes. Rodon falls in the second category and despite promising signs, he’s seemingly lost an important tool in his arsenal.

Carlos Rodon continues his inconsistent performances as the fans look in horror

When Rodon returned to the Yankees facility, he was visibly leaner. The pitcher looked fit and was working endlessly on his pitches and that gave fans some high hopes. His Spring Training debut wasn’t spectacular but most knew Rodon’s return to form is a long-term project. However, his recent two displays have left a sour taste in many mouths.

As the New York Post reported, on March 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Rodon allowed two homers. The weird part? The homers were hit on his first and last pitch. In between those 60 pitches, Rodon had done some brilliant stuff, but those two homers were too big to ignore. This level of inconsistency isn’t expected from the two-time All-Star pitcher.

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Previously, Rodon had also given up four home runs in the Yankees’ live batting practice session on Friday. While the pitcher laughed it off then, he certainly can’t do the same right now. One could argue that Spring Training doesn’t mean anything, but Rodon’s display has raised some strong questions. 

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The Yankees are already surrounded by calls to add one more starting pitcher to their roster. Performances like this surely don’t help their stance. But then, like it was said earlier, there was something positive about Rodon’s performance!

Looking at the bright side – a silver lining for the Pinstripes

ESPN reported that the skipper Aaron Boone was still positive about Rodon’s performance. “I felt, really, in between the first and last pitch, I thought he pitched really well. I thought he pitched, which was good to see,” said the skipper. The issue lay in Rodon’s uncontrolled fastballs that averaged 93.2 mph – much lower than his 95.3 mph average last season.

Rodon’s dependency on the fastball-slider combo is a well-known trait. In 2022, 92% of his pitches were either of the two. However, in a positive sign, Rodon has worked on a changeup and a new cutter. That has made him quite ready for games like this where his fastballs aren’t effective. Still, as it stands, there’s a long way to go for Rodon before he can reach his best.

New York Yankees’ Carlos Rodon Keeps High Hopes, Despite Disappointing Batting Practice Display