A former White Sox pitcher has gotten the nod for Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday.
The Yankees named Carlos Rodón as their starting pitcher on Sunday afternoon. The decision came after manager Aaron Boone was also considering right-hander Clark Schmidt, who is slated to start Game 3 instead.
Rodón, 31, signed a six-year, $162 million with the Yankees prior to the 2023 campaign. During his two seasons in the Bronx, the lefty has gone 19-17 with a 4.74 ERA and 1.283 WHIP. The two-time All-Star has looked sharp during the second half of this season, owning a 2.91 ERA with 83 strikeouts over 68 innings (12 starts). He will be pitching on extra rest after starting Game 2 of the ALDS against the Royals last Monday.
In his latest postseason start, Rodón didn’t hide his emotion after striking out the side to begin the game. Things got shaky from there, as he allowed four runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings as the Yankees lost 4-2.
During his White Sox tenure, Rodón showed flashes of the pitcher everyone knew he could be but was unable to harness it consistently until the end. Countless injuries coupled with struggles when healthy summed up much of his career, as he made just 43 appearances with a 4.45 ERA from 2017-20.
Things eventually clicked and the lefty turned heads with his breakout 2021 campaign. He went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA (35 ER/132.2 IP), 185 strikeouts, 36 walks, 2.65 FIP, and 0.957 WHIP. Impressive numbers aside, Rodón’s season was highlighted by his April 14th no-hitter against Cleveland, first-ever All-Star appearance in July, and a fifth-place finish in the Cy Young voting at the year’s end.
Following the season, the White Sox opted against giving him an $18.4 million qualifying offer in a questionable decision. This led to further speculation about Rodon’s health as the veteran pitcher dealt with shoulder fatigue late in the year. However, the Scott Boras client showed no issues in his first season with San Francisco, throwing a minimum of 110 innings by late July to activate his opt-out in early November. He’s certainly reaped the rewards ever since.
The ALCS opener between the Yankees and Guardians will be televised on TBS, truTV, and Max beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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