The Yankees may have another stud on the horizon and they can thank their arch nemesis for it.
The Bombers acquired Elmer Rodriguez in a deal with the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Carlos Narvaez last offseason and it is paying dividends for both sides. Narvaez enjoyed a strong season for the Sox last year, posting a .726 OPS in 118 games, while Rodriguez climbed the ranks in the Bombers’ system.
The Yanks’ No. 3 prospect posted a 2.58 ERA in 27 games between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. The right-hander features a fastball that can reach the upper-90’s as well as a curveball, slider and splitter in his arsenal.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman touted the young righty at the Winter Meetings saying, “The kid Cruz [he was formerly known as Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz] we got from Boston…he’s knocking on the door.”
Baseball America named Rodriguez the Yankees’ Minor League Player of the year for 2025 as his 179 strikeouts were the second most amongst minor league pitchers.
“That’s one of the reasons we went after him — we just thought there was a lot of upside,” Sam Briend, Yankees director of pitching, said in 2025. “He’s a really aggressive strike thrower, throws really hard. He averaged 95-plus miles an hour. We really thought the secondary pitches were the pieces we could impact.”
It remains to be seen when Rodriguez will kick the MLB door in, however, the circumstances entering 2026 are favorable for the 22-year-old. Gerrit Cole (Tommy John recovery), Carlos Rodon (bone spur) and Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) are all slated to miss at least the beginning of next season. Should Rodriguez have a strong spring audition, he will be firmly on the radar to break camp with the Bombers.
Even if he starts the season at Triple-A — he’s made just one start at the level in his career — the impact rookie before him laid out the blueprint last season. Cam Schlittler opened up the 2025 season with a strong spring training that put him firmly on the radar of the MLB club — destined to make an impact in the upcoming season. Ultimately, Schlittler was sent down after spring, however, he is now spoken about as the future of the Yankees rotation after a dominant 14-game regular season starting in July and postseason.
“I knew it was going to be really hard for our guys to trade him,” manager Aaron Boone said in October about the Bombers reluctance to trade Schlittler at the deadline. “I’m sure they would’ve had to have been overwhelmed with something. That’s how we view Cam. ‘This is a future staple of our rotation’, so I’m sure it wouldn’t have been easy for a club to get him.”
Rodriguez has a long way to go, however, if he can seize the moment in spring, he could be donning the pinstripes sooner rather than later.
