Jul 5, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Pitcher Receiving Death Threats

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Delilah Bourque | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 11:00 AM ET

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón has seen and heard enough from the haters.

While every professional athlete is accustomed to chirps and jeers from fans in person and online, Rodón has experienced an escalation in the sorts of comments he's receiving. According to investigation done by Athlon Sports, some of the comments wished physical harm upon the pitcher and his loved ones. Rodón's wife, Ashley, took to Instagram last month to expose hateful direct messages she received after her husband threw in a loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Rodón, who is in his 11th season in the MLB, waved off the worries about the safety of him and his teammates, citing taunts as part of the overall culture of sports.

“We’ll be fine,” he said to The Athletic this week. “We’re big boys.”

According to Athlon Sports, many of the comments have to do with Rodón's play not lining up with gambling parlays. MLB.com's Brent Maguire reported earlier last month that Houston police linked death threats directed at Astros Lance McCullers Jr. to a disgruntled bettor.

According to the interview Rodón gave The Athletic, more and more taunting from fans is centered around specifics from their bets. Sports betting became more prevalent after 2018, when the Supreme Court ruled that individual states were allowed to legalize it. While New Yorkers were allowed to gamble on sports at commercial casinos run by the state since 2013, online sports betting became legal in the state in 2022.

Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman disagreed with Rodón's take. In the same Athletic article, he expressed wanting fans to be more aware that players are doing their best.

"I think people should be more aware of it," he said. "At the end of our day, we're people. We have lives outside of baseball. This is just our job."

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