When the Yankees first signed Carlos Rodón three years ago, expectations were high for the left-hander.
Fresh off back-to-back All-Star appearances, Rodón inked a six-year, $162 million contract, the type of deal that comes with responsibilities on and off the field. However, the pitcher made a poor first impression in 2023, recording a 6.85 ERA over 14 starts and letting his emotions get the best of him on a few occasions while dealing with numerous injuries.
But Rodón took a step in the right direction in 2024, lowering his ERA to 3.96 while making a team-high 32 starts. That campaign served as a building block, as Rodón earned another All-Star nod and expanded his arsenal while posting a 3.09 ERA over 33 starts in 2025.
It was easily his best season as a Yankee. It was also his most comfortable, which led to a change in the way Rodón communicated with his peers.
“I tend to be pretty quiet,” the soft-spoken southpaw, who will start the 2026 season on the injured list following surgery for a bone spur, said in September. “I try to lead by example, but I guess the older I get, knowing I don’t have much time left in this game, I think I need to be a little more vocal and be more impactful for these younger guys and help make them better pitchers.”
Indeed, Rodón made it a point to mentor rookie rotation-mates Will Warren and Cam Schlittler this past season. The three regularly discussed pitch grips, mechanics and scouting reports, as well as life in the big leagues.
Warren said that Rodón was particularly helpful when it came to digesting the large amounts of data the Yankees provide their pitchers.
“He helps simplify the game a little bit,” Warren said. “We’re pretty similar in the fact that, yeah, we’re gonna look at those scouting reports and have an idea of what their weaknesses and stuff are, but at the end of the day, what makes us Carlos Rodón and Will Warren is our strengths, and we’re gonna lean pretty heavy on those.”
Schlittler, meanwhile, said that Rodón watched one of his bullpen sessions when the Yankees were in Baltimore in September. Rodón recommended a mechanical tweak that aided Schlittler’s high-octane fastball.
“Carlos is an intense guy. He’s competitive, and I respect that about him. Obviously, I didn’t really know him a lot in spring training. I was a little more intimidated. But since I’ve gotten here, he’s taken me under his wing,” said Schlittler, who didn’t debut until July. “He’s been someone I’ve been able to rely on and count on.”
Added Warren: “You have to get to know Carlos. And then you realize he’s not as big bad a bully as you think he is, even though he is when he pitches. So I think our relationship has grown with me being up here a lot more.”
Rodón said that he sees himself in Warren and Schlittler “if I rewind 10 years,” and he felt he should “return the favor” after former White Sox teammates went out of their way to help him as a young big leaguer. He specifically mentioned Chris Sale, Lance Lynn, Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Zach Duke, Jose Quintana and James Shields.
Rodón’s increased involvement in his teammates’ development also coincided with Gerrit Cole’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in spring training.
The procedure made Cole, often described as an unofficial pitching coach, an infrequent presence at the start of the season. That left a leadership void for Rodón and Max Fried to fill as the veterans in the Yankees’ rotation.
“Gerrit’s obviously a true leader,” Rodón said. “He’s really good. Him and I kind of have the same mindset: if we can get these kids to be impactful for us, we’re going to win more games. That’s where it stems from. I wouldn’t say I’m as hands on as Gerrit, but I won’t sit back and not say something if I see something now.”
Rodón’s proactivity didn’t go unnoticed, as Aaron Boone labeled the 32-year-old “an important part” of the Yankees’ pitching culture now. The manager attributed that to Rodón, the Yankees’ 2025 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, being “more and more comfortable and entrenched in the organization” and his growth as a pitcher.
“I just want to get the best out of them. They can really help us win,” Rodón said of Warren and Schlittler. “I just want to lift them up.”
