NEW YORK -- Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón is an All-Star.
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Rodón will be going to Atlanta next week after replacing teammate Max Fried on the American League roster. Rodón was named an All-Star for the third time in the last five years. The first two appearances were with the White Sox and Giants in 2021 and ‘22, respectively.
Rodón received the news about the Midsummer Classic from manager Aaron Boone after Thursday’s 6-5 victory over the Mariners.
“I’m really proud of what he has become as a pitcher,” Boone said. “It was pretty cool to give him that news.”
Rodón said it was an honor to make the All-Star team and he can’t wait to watch his son, Bo, enjoy the festivities.
“He is a big Yankees fan. He is excited to watch Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] and [Aaron] Judge do their thing,” Rodón said. "It’s going to be fun to see how he [experiences the event]. He understands what’s going on now. It’s going to be fun to watch him.”
Getting picked for the All-Star Game gave Rodón a boost to do well against the Cubs on Friday night. All Rodón did was pitch eight shutout innings and strike out eight batters in an 11-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.
“They have confidence in me. They think I’m good enough. Today, I wanted to go out there and perform and get a win, really,” Rodón said.
Rodón has been solid for New York this season, going 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 119 2/3 innings. He ranks fifth on the team in bWAR (2.2).
“I like how professional he is and how particular he is on what pitches to throw. He has a sense of how he wants to throw the ball in different situations,” said teammate J.C. Escarra.
Rodón would have to pitch on three days’ rest if he were to throw against the National League on Tuesday night. Fried, on the other hand, is pitching Saturday afternoon against Chicago, and the turnaround time to pitch in the All-Star Game proved to be too much.
Rodón has come a long way since his forgettable first season with the Yankees in 2023. He dealt with injuries and struggled when he was able to pitch, posting a 6.85 ERA in 14 games. A low point came on Sept. 29, 2023, against the Royals in Rodón’s final game of the season. He allowed eight runs without retiring a batter. To make matters worse, Rodón turned his back on pitching coach Matt Blake during a mound visit, then later brushed past Boone after he was taken out of the game.
Since that day, Rodón has become a workhorse for the Yankees and helped guide them to the World Series against the Dodgers last year. In the past two seasons, Rodón has won 25 games with a 3.70 ERA.
“I think he has developed a really strong routine,” Boone said. “It starts in the winter with your workout and your throwing program. He is legit on that. … His routine is excellent. He is disciplined about it. His work ethic has been good. He has had the ability to evolve from a pitch-package standpoint. We have seen an evolved arsenal that has served him well. He’s an outstanding pitcher and an outstanding athlete saying, ‘Yeah, OK. I struggled. I failed.’ That’s part of Major League sports. You are going to get humbled at some point. How do you respond? It’s not about getting knocked down; It’s getting your ass up. He got his ass up. I’m super proud of him.”