Carlos Rodon Has a Chance for Postseason Redemption

Carlos Rodón has not been great for the New York Yankees in the postseason. In six games, he has a 6.92 ERA, allowing 20 earned runs in 26 IP. Rodon's big issue is that the long ball has decimated him. He has allowed seven in the postseason.

The Yankees don't need the Rodón who dropped a pivotal Game 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series. They also don't need the Rodón who allowed six earned runs in last year's ALDS and was eventually bailed out by Aaron Judge's late-game heroics. They need the Rodón they have watched all year.

While he's been on and off the IL, Rodón has kept a streak of not allowing more than three earned runs in a start. He hasn't done that this season, and it hasn't happened to him since the ALDS. You would have to go back to August 1st, 2025, against the Miami Marlins, when he gave up 4 ER in the regular season.

This postseason will be an opportunity to put past failures behind him, and it could start with the Tampa Bay Rays. He started against them on Sept. 22, in which Rodon tossed eight shutout innings, recorded eight strikeouts, and allowed three hits.

Granted, it was later in the year, and both teams were waiting for the postseason to begin, but if he's anything like that, they could take that game at the Trop and, at a minimum, hopefully come home with a split.

Being the consistent one

Right now, Cole has been hit-or-miss on the mound. It will be him or Rodón starting Game 1, and Rodón has to be the more consistent of the two. With Cole, unfortunately, it's hard to say which version of him they're getting since he returned from his Tommy John surgery.

Having starters post back-to-back poor starts would be a demoralizing introduction to that series and would likely be their ultimately undoing. That is what happened to them in Toronto last year. Luis Gil didn't go very deep in Game 1 and Max Fried allowed six earned runs in Game 2.

However, it's safe to say, that the Yankees' rotation is much better than it was last year at this time. The Rays also aren't the offensive force the Blue Jays were last year.

They'll have to worry about Junior Caminero, but this team has more soft-landing spots than Toronto did. It should be enough for Rodón to get his redemption and, hopefully, help the Yankees move on to the ALCS and ultimately get back to the World Series.

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