TAMPA — A consensus grew this offseason that the Yankees’ most pivotal participant — the one whose success or failure may most ship them positively or negatively in a single path or the opposite — was Carlos Rodon.
Which, primarily based on his 2023, is like deciding that preserving Mitchell Robinson wholesome and productive is the important thing to the Knicks’ close to future.
Rodon dismisses the idea that he’s such a fulcrum to which method the Yankees go in 2024 and so does Brian Cashman.
And positive, the Yankees have loads of expertise — extra so with Juan Soto round to attempt to reinvigorate the offense.
If that expertise stays typically wholesome and thrives, then the membership will in all probability prosper even when Rodon continues to do his greatest Whitson.
However even with the Large Three of Soto, Aaron Choose and Gerrit Cole, it positive is less complicated to see how the Yankees put 82-80 within the rearview mirror if Rodon resembles his 2021-22.
And never 2023, when accidents restricted the lefty to 14 begins, but his 6.85 ERA was the second-worst for that many begins in franchise historical past (Luis Severino’s 2023 of 6.65 was third-worst if you wish to start to see the equation towards what Cashman has dubbed a “catastrophe” of a season).
Rodon actually doesn’t supply a sugarcoated model of final 12 months. He known as it “a flop.”
Which places him in a too massive group of Yankees corresponding to Nestor Cortes, DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton who need to show that 2023 was not who they’re now.
Of these, the potential upside is the best for Rodon. Add that with the shortage of confirmed depth past the rotation high 5, and for this reason Rodon is so pivotal.
In 2021-22, he was an All-Star with a sixth- and fifth-place end for the Cy Younger. Of the 114 starters who labored no less than 200 innings mixed in these two seasons, none had a better strikeout proportion than Rodon’s 33.9 (Gerrit Cole was second at 32.9).
Solely Zack Wheeler, Sandy Alcantara and Max Scherzer had a better Wins Above Alternative (Baseball Reference). He led the NL in ERA at 2.25 in 2022.
That led the Yankees to reduce a remainder of his profession doused with harm, underperformance and indicators he may not be an amazing match for the New York market and signal him to a six-year, $162 million deal — on the time the eighth-largest ever given to a free-agent pitcher.
He adopted with a dismal exhibiting on and off the sector the place, amongst different objects, he disrespected pitching coach Matt Blake throughout his woeful final begin of 2023.
Blake stated there aren’t any lingering points. That appears to go, for now anyway, with Rodon, the pitcher as nicely. No points.
Which might be why, whereas Rodon and Cashman needed nothing to do with assessing Rodon because the essential swing piece for this Yankee season, Blake cited Rodon and Nestor Cortes in tandem, suggesting the well being and efficiency of the 2 lefties within the rotation have been important for the membership.
In 2022, each have been All-Stars, combining for 59 begins and a 2.68 ERA — in the event that they try this once more behind Cole, the Yankees ought to win the AL East.
In 2023, they have been each out for lengthy stretches with harm, combining for 26 begins and a 5.92 ERA — in the event that they try this once more, then the Yanks are going to be robust candidates to overlook the playoffs once more.
So the Yanks are happy that each confirmed up early to start exercises on the minor league complicated and look good so far.
Rodon arrived in Tampa the primary week of January. He felt a lot of final season was a couple of supply he stated obtained “wonky,” robbing consistency in his fastball and slider — the 2 pitches he relied upon 89 p.c of the time.
Rodon talked broadly about deploying his curve and changeup extra. However he is aware of he’s about fastball up and slider down. And he feels that getting streamlined and extra environment friendly down the mound will improve the efficiency of his principal choices.
He feels that the early work has helped on this space and already he’s throwing significantly more durable on this camp than final season.
“There’s positively motivation,” he stated. “They’re not improper [to question him]. The proof is within the pudding. It’s type of proper there the place we are able to all see it. You possibly can go look again at seasons and see what number of innings I’ve thrown. It tells you, yeah, he’s fairly good when he’s on the mound, however how usually is he on the mound? I’d like to vary that rep, nevertheless it’s simply child steps, man. It’s one step at a time.”
And he stated, “It might be a mistake to fret about Step 4,000,” which means seeing himself as the important thing to this Yankee season. To do this, “I can’t ignore Steps 1, 2, 3, 4. I can’t go that far down the street.”
However, the trail he’s on can have so much to do with the place the Yankees find yourself in 2024. Is he what the Yankees paid for, a legit No. 2 starter? Or what he was final 12 months, their No. 1 downside?