Aug 19, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Pitching Rotation Starting to Carry Yankees

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Carlos Rodón took the mound in front of a national audience after the New York Yankees lost three straight to the Boston Red Sox. The good fortune they had built up leading to that divisional clash felt like a distant memory, but it was Rodón who played the role of the stabilizing force, even though it wasn't his most fetching stat line. He pitched into the 6th inning, going 5.2 innings, with five walks and three strikeouts, but he held Boston's offense to two runs after they had clobbered the Yankees the day before.

That Rodón outing at home kicked off a seven-game win streak, and even though the offense will get all the praise, the starting rotation should get a lot of the love, too. Just like Rodón, they have been a stabilizing force and a significant keeping the team's division dreams alive. During this seven-game win streak, the Yankee rotation has the best ERA in baseball. They are pitching to a 1.33 ERA and, even though starter wins are not as important a stat as they used to be, the rotation is 6-0.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Run prevention has been one of their calling cards during this streak, but they have also been innings eaters as well. Their rotation has compiled 40.2 innings and is one of two teams to have over 40 innings during this stretch. The other is the Atlanta Braves.

Rodón and Cam Schlittler both pitched twice during the win streak. Rodón has a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 IP, and Schlittler has pitched like a staff ace. In 12 IP, he has a .75 ERA. He has 16 strikeouts to four walks and allowed one run. He has also compiled a .5 WAR, according to Fangraphs.

The Yankees are running through easy competition this week, but these are the teams that are in front of them, and there was a point in the summer where it felt like they couldn't stack wins against anybody. They weren't in a position to drop any games this week to make up ground, and that's precisely what they did. It feels like, if the game that goes to extras against the Chicago White Sox happens earlier in the season, they end up dropping that one in a heartbreaker and don't make up any ground against the Blue Jays, whom they've been trying to catch ever since they blew that seven-game lead in the AL East.

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