Think about the worst day of your career., then, elongate that to over 6 months. Terrifying, right? That’s what happened to Carlos Rodon in 2023. Expected to be the ace, Rodon was anything but that for the New York Yankees last year. Battling through the lowest point of his career, Rodon knew 2024 had to be different. And boy, was it different. But all throughout this tough journey, Rodon had his wife Ashley by his side.

The Bronx Bombers are now in the World Series; though the entire team has played a huge role in that, Rodon’s contribution cannot be understated. This was visible immensely during the ALCS when the 31-year-old proved to be the ace that the Yankees paid him to be. First in Game 2 and then in Game 5, Rodon managed to contain the Cleveland Guardians to a low score. So, naturally, after the team’s win his wife Ashley and their kids joined Rodon to celebrate another chapter of his redemption arc.

However, what made it really memorable were the pictures that Ashley shared of the family. There were laughs, tears but more importantly a rush of wholesomeness to everything they did. But the picture that caught everyone’s attention was their son Bo holding the ALCS pennant. Captioned “Living in a dream. Thank you God”, the picture showed just how far the Carlos Rodon family has come from their disastrous 2023. 

The journey has certainly not been easy. After Rodon flamed out early in ALDS, Ashley had to face some negative comments from fans. However, Rodon answered the critics back with his game-changing ALCS starts. But, even now the ace feels like this win wasn’t just due to him. Rodon believes it was the entire Yankees clubhouse that should be given credit for this success.

Carlos Rodon was not nervous about giving away the lead in ALCS game 5

Unlike Game 2, Carlos Rodon didn’t have complete control over his pitches. The star couldn’t complete 5 innings and was called out after he threw 85 pitches just to cover 4 ⅔  innings. When Rodon left the mound the Bronx Bombers were trailing by 2 runs but the ace had no worries. As Rodon said, the Yankees have more than enough grit and quality to cover that 2-run deficit.  As a result, he worked hard to ensure the lead never rose above 2 runs as he “wanted to keep” the Yankees within “striking distance.”  

Later Giancarlo Stanton’s ridiculous home run leveled the score and Juan Soto’s 10th inning home run won the game. For Carlos Rodon, it was as much a triumph as a redemption. From being the season’s biggest disappointment to having a starring role in the Yankees’ World Series entry, Rodon had staged a great story. “I’m grateful for this opportunity because this is what you dream of as a kid,” Rodon said per New York Post.

“The goal was to go out there and compete,” Carlos Rodon added, and he did compete. Ever since Rodon worked on controlling his emotions, the star has turned into a pivotal cog in the Yanks’ machine. But the journey isn’t over yet; the World Series is still to come and winning that is all that matters. Could Rodon continue his fine form at the biggest stage of them all? It certainly would be a great arc for a pitcher to go from being a disaster to being a World Series winner in just one year. But can that actually happen? Let us know what you think in the comments.