“Knew This Game Was Coming”: Carlos Rodon Turns Up the Heat Against the Royals in a Display That Exorcises Ghosts of 2023

On Monday, Carlos Rodon’s comeback performance was the showstopper in Kansas City. Rolling back the calendar, on September 29, he gave away eight runs without giving a single out in Kauffman Stadium. This was the lowest point of his career. But in 2024, his performance made a bold statement! Against the Kansas City Royals, Rodon allowed just one run over seven innings. He also made the opposing team miss four shots, giving the Yankees a perfect start. The left-handed pitcher lowered his ERA to just 2.93, making a statement in his seventh start. Ultimately, with Rodon’s performance, the Yankees won 4-2 over the Royals. 

After the game, Rodon met a few reporters, answering their questions. On his performance against the Royals and his comeback, Rodon said, “I knew this game was coming, and it was circled on the calendar, and I wanted to show up and give my team the best chance to win after coming out of here last year over what happened and not pitching well.” Despite giving his best efforts, he was not happy with his September 29, 2023, match against Kansas City. Going into the offseason, his 6.85 ERA was the highest in his MLB career. His past frustration compelled him to turn his back on pitching coach Matt Blake during his first-inning mound play. 

Explaining his bad outing in 2023, he replied, “I tried to flush it early on, but it’s hard to get that one out of your head. It wasn’t just one start. It was a culmination of the whole ‘23 — it wasn’t so great, so that definitely motivated me.” Improving his ERA to 2.93, Rodon is tied for the American League’s lead in the number of wins with Seth Logo. Having a bitter past in 2023 has certainly fuelled Carlos Rodon’s career for the 2024 season. 

Manager Aaron Boone’s stance on Carlos Rodon

For manager Boone and especially for the Yankees, Rodon’s performance finally paid off. They bought Rodon on a 6-year contract, giving him a $162 million deal during the 2022 off-season. Allowing three earned runs, trailing only behind Corbin Burnes (14), he’s looking in good touch. On his performance against the Royals, manager Aaron Boone said, “I thought he threw the ball really well. He was in the strike zone; I think when we looked up there, it was 2-1 strikes. It looked like his stuff was good”.

 “He made some big pitches the couple of times when they did pressure him there a little bit. But overall, I thought he threw the ball really well.” Rodon entered the 2024 season with just two double plays. He allowed baserunners to score in the first six innings. However, things changed in the seventh inning when Freddy Fermin made a two-out single. After that, Rodon made 14 whiffs and three strikeouts across the seven innings in his 103-pitch career. 

Ultimately, Rodon’s last seven consecutive wins have been good starts. After the match against Royals, he finished six innings out of 10 in his last 14 matches. Having an impressive ERA of 2.93, 74.20 K/BB, and a 1.05 WHIP in the 2024 season, he might be looking forward to continuing his form against the Red Sox on Saturday.