Carlos Rodón gave the Yankees exactly the kind of reminder they were hoping to see Tuesday.
With October closing in and New York still sorting through questions in its rotation, the veteran left-hander delivered a dominant performance in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays. Rodón worked eight scoreless innings, struck out eight, allowed only three hits - all singles - and did not issue a walk. For a Yankees club trying to settle on a postseason plan, it was the kind of outing that can tilt a conversation.
The performance also came with a couple of personal milestones. Rodón picked up the 100th win of his career and reached 1,500 strikeouts when he finished off Jonny DeLuca with a slider in the eighth inning.
Rodón had his fastball working and locating well, and he kept pounding first-pitch strikes to stay ahead in counts. At one point, he retired 10 batters in a row, a stretch that had Yankee Stadium buzzing as he kept the Rays off balance.
That matters even more given where Rodón has been this season. His 2026 debut was delayed by elbow surgery, and inflammation cost him additional time.
He also recently dealt with a dip in velocity. Still, the larger body of work has been strong since mid-August: he’s 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA over his last seven starts.
The Yankees haven’t announced how they’ll line up for the AL Wild Card Series, but Rodón is making a real push to be part of it. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried appear set for two of the games in the expected series against the Boston Red Sox, leaving one spot to be sorted out.
That third game is where things get interesting. Gerrit Cole has had trouble with reliability lately, and Rodón’s outing Tuesday only sharpened the debate.
Boone has hinted that Cole will get a start, but Rodón’s form - paired with Cole’s struggles - gives New York something to think about. Right now, Rodón looks like the hot hand the Yankees can lean on if they want to ride momentum into the ALDS.
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