Just in: The Yankees’ continued lack of faith in their $162 million favorite starter can be attributed to..
The New York Yankees’ three-man rotation would be a major worry if the postseason began today. As their main ace, Gerrit Cole would surely head the rotation, but the possibilities following him would need to be carefully studied.
There are ambiguities in the Yankees’ rotation
This season, Marcus Stroman has been incredibly erratic and his velocity across the board has decreased significantly. Due to a lower back problem, Luis Gil is now listed as injured; however, he should be back in a few weeks.
Currently on a rehab assignment, Clarke Schmidt is anticipated back soon, though the Yankees are still unsure of which version of him they will get. Although Nestor Cortes has made progress, more constancy is required. Most notably, Carlos Rodon, the team’s $162 million starter, hasn’t yet shown the value for the money.
The Difficulties and Inconsistencies of Rodon
Although Rodon inked a six-year deal in the 2023 summer, injuries and inconsistent play have plagued his success. He only pitched 64.1 innings in 2023, recording a 6.85 ERA and saw a sharp decline in strikeouts. Despite his generally good health in 2024, his 4.31 ERA over 146.1 innings points to persistent confidence problems. While his strikeouts per nine innings have decreased to 9.90 from over 11 during his stellar seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants in 2021 and 2022, his velocity is still within his typical range. His ground ball rate of 32.6% and left-on-base rate of 76.4% are respectable, but he is having trouble with pitch location.
Fastball Problems
Rodon’s fastball is no longer an asset. The Yankees’ usage has decreased from 60.4% to 49.2% this season; as a result, they are permitting a batting average of.264 and a slugging percentage of.524 while only having a 21.1% whiff rate and a 15.3% putaway rate. The characteristic that made Rodon so powerful in the past—when he blended his slider and four-seamer effectively—is gone when he doesn’t have a decent fastball.
Rodon struck out eight batters and walked one on Wednesday in 5.2 innings of work against the struggling Washington Nationals. He allowed eight hits, and although he was striking out more people, the Nationals were constantly hitting his fastball hard.
Boone’s Preseason Conundrum
Given the uncertainty surrounding the options at this stage, Manager Aaron Boone might be forced to trust Rodon during a postseason appearance. If Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt play well in September, the team might be better off taking a chance on them.
Lost Chances at the Trade Deadline
It is conceivable that a lot of supporters will hold general manager Brian Cashman accountable for not concentrating on obtaining a trustworthy starting pitcher for the postseason. The Yankees might have benefited from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ trade for Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers. This season, Flaherty has a 3.07 ERA, including a 3.49 ERA in 28.1 innings pitched against the Dodgers. Even though he was more successful with Detroit, the Yankees, who frequently fall behind early in games, might have benefited from having him around to help make comebacks harder.
