Aug 1, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) returns to the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Yankees Starter Needs to Flip Script Against Division

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Carlos Rodón will take the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday and is lined up to meet the Boston Red Sox later this week. If the Yankees are going to keep their playoff hopes alive, they need the best version of him. The issue is that Rodón has been dreadful in his AL East outings.

In 19 appearances when facing East opponents since becoming a Yankee, Rodón is 7-9 with a 5.36 ERA. The saving grace for 2025 is that he has been better this year. His 3.94 ERA in six trips to the hill against the Rays, Orioles, Red Sox, and Blue Jays is not great, but it's an improvement.

Out of all the teams in the East, Rodón has done best against Tampa, with a 3.86 ERA in five appearances. One of his better starts of 2025 came when facing the Rays in April. After a rough beginning to his season, going 1-3, having given up 13 earned runs in his previous 23 IP, he stepped on the mound at George S. Steinbrenner Field and turned his fortunes around. He hurled six shutout innings, struck out nine, and worked around a few walks.

Carlos Rodon BATTLED tonight against the Rays, picking up NINE strikeouts in a great outing

6.0 IP | 2 H | 0 ER | 9 K | 4 BB | 102 P | 58 S

LOCKDOWN LOS'.#Yankees pic.twitter.com/nDf40WSzar
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) April 19, 2025

That Tampa start kicked off a stellar eight-game run in which Rodón went 6-0 and pitched to a 1.42 ERA in 50.2 innings.

His fortune then took a turn for the worse when he faced Boston and failed to go more than five innings in two straight starts. In that first start, Rodón surrendered five earned runs. He also issued multiple walks and was snakebit by the long ball twice. Five days later, he gave up three earned runs, and the Yankees lost that one, too. He walked out of that week with a 5.12 ERA against the Sox since signing in New York.

There have been two outings against Boston that could be categorized as a wreck. There was the above-mentioned start from June. There was another instance in 2024 where he gave up five earned runs in five innings. The issue with Rodón and Boston has been length. Outside of a start in July of last year, where he pitched 6.1 IP, he has failed to go over 5.1 IP.

As a significant portion of the games remaining on the schedule is against the East, Rodón needs to be better. Following their series with Boston and Tampa, they have a series against the Blue Jays in early September. Rodón is paying tribute to Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" as he rocks a 6.66 ERA against them. After that is another series against Boston. A week after that are the Orioles. He has a 6.43 ERA when facing Baltimore.

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