Juan Soto’s move to the Mets has certainly stirred the pot, especially among Yankees fans who once saw him as one of their own. It’s never easy watching a superstar switch boroughs, and the angst is real. But while some in pinstripes might feel a sting, Carlos Rodón isn’t holding any grudges. He respects Soto, admires his game, and understands the reality of the baseball business. That said, he also knows one thing for sure—when the time comes, he’ll have to go toe-to-toe with one of the game’s absolute best.

During a spring training interview, Rodon joked about the difficulty of getting Soto out, who’s now also part of the Mets’ $765 million star-studded roster. “He hits everything, so good luck trying to get one past him,” he said. But why is Soto so hard to face, and how will Rodon keep him at bay when the Mets and Yankees meet in a Subway Series? Juan Soto has a .285 batting average with 934 hits, 201 home runs, and 592 RBIs in seven seasons for the Nationals, Padres, and Yankees. His .421 on-base percentage and .532 slugging emphasize his consistency that earned him four All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards.

Rodón’s words weren’t just small talk; he knew Soto would clear contact with just about every pitch thrown his way. The reason for that anxiety is that Carlos Rodón has a fastball that can reach the heavens in speed and a slider that can devour one’s gut and lacerate him. These two ingredients have been put together to produce a highly beneficial outcome in terms of pitching. For the year 2024, Rodón relied on the four-seam fastball as a major part of his pitching plan, using it 60.3% of the time while going to the slider 28.9% along with a very rare curveball (6.4%) and even less frequent changeups (4.3%).

To effectively challenge Soto, Rodón will need to leverage his power pitching. By utilizing his fastball’s velocity and his slider’s movement, he can aim to disrupt Soto’s timing and induce weak contact or swings and misses. Rodón’s performance on the mound is driven by control and command, and his key to facing a hitter like Soto will lie in location—throwing the ball in areas where Soto struggles while keeping him off balance with breaking pitches.

While Rodon hasn’t allowed a hit to Soto in their previous matchups, that doesn’t mean much going into this season. Every at-bat is a new challenge, and Soto’s adjustments make him even tougher as time goes on. As the Subway Series continues to unfold, this will definitely be one of the most anticipated matches amongst many other anticipated matchups throughout the season.

Powerhouse lineups: Mets and Yankees ready for rivalry

Beyond the Rodon vs. Soto duel, both teams are loaded with offensive weapons. For the Mets, Soto’s arrival gives them another dangerous bat to pair with established stars like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. Soto’s coming to the Mets has put another dangerous bat between powerhouses like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. The Mets have just gotten Soto into their lineup, which is potentially the most potent in baseball, and with the added depth of power and plate discipline that give them a real shot at making waves in the MLB.

At the same time, New York maintains powerhouses in its lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Having Soto’s house, however, really hurts, but New York does have some depth in the lineup and plenty of firepower to replace it. Still, there are doubts regarding the consistency of their middle-of-order hitters. Judge and Stanton are reliable outlets for offense, but the Yankees also need to have other guys step up and get it done in clutch situations, especially in the postseason.

Both teams have a lot of power on the offensive side of the ball, but pitching plays a significant role too. The Mets can boast an offense to rival that of the Yankees, but pitching depth has sometimes been a question mark. The Yankees are very well blessed with their best pitchers during these hard stretches, but they will need to have their hitters to complement that with timely runs.

The Subway series coming up will surely feature some drama, as the stakes are quite high. Will the Mets, spearheaded by Soto, be able to claim the new top crown of New York, or will the Yankees’ star mix with pitching dominance be too strong for their rivals?

This rivalry is getting heated up in the year 2025, and fans from both sides are going to have a blast watching this showdown. Keep an eye on what is bound to be a great year of baseball in the Big Apple!