When Carlos Rodon walked off the mound on April 13, boos were louder than cheers, and frustration hung thick in the Bronx air.
The New York Yankees faithful had grown weary. Another costly free-agent arm struggling under the weight of pinstripes, giving up home runs and wearing a bloated 5.48 ERA.
Rodon had just surrendered two long balls to the San Francisco Giants, four earned runs in total, and fans were already counting the years left on his contract with dismay.
But Yankees skipper Aaron Boone saw through the smokescreen of stats. He didn’t see a floundering pitcher—he saw one on the cusp of breaking out.
Boone told the Talkin’ Yanks podcast, “He’s close to hopefully running off six really, really good ones in a row.”
“I feel like he’s close to hopefully running off six really really good ones in a row”
Aaron Boone feels like Carlos Rodon is close pic.twitter.com/EUHIOrYwAg
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 15, 2025
At the time, it sounded like blind faith. Now, it reads like prophecy.
Boone’s belief leads to brilliance on the mound
Since that April 13 game, Rodon has silenced skeptics in emphatic fashion. He has stacked up seven straight stellar starts, including Thursday’s masterpiece against the Texas Rangers.
In that outing, he blanked the Rangers over six innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight with surgical precision.
It was the kind of performance that makes you forget the past and focus on the now—and the now is dominant.
Rodon’s ERA, once a glaring 5.48, now sparkles at 2.88. He’s pitching like a man possessed, not by pressure, but by purpose. His velocity is up, his command is sharper, and perhaps most importantly, his confidence is back.
Strikeouts, swagger, and subtle shifts spark Rodon’s rise
What was missing early on wasn’t raw talent—Rodon had already struck out 28 batters in just 23 innings over his first four starts.
The issue was precision. Too many mistake pitches, and unfortunately for him, too many of those left the ballpark.
But baseball, like a good novel, isn’t judged by its first chapter. Rodon made subtle tweaks: tightening his command, refining his pitch mix, and trusting his fastball in key moments.
Boone kept the faith. The media didn’t. Fans didn’t either. But the man in the dugout knew he was watching an ace polishing his armor.
Rodon’s redemption feels like a summer storm
The transformation feels sudden, like a summer storm breaking a long dry spell. One minute it’s clouded doubt, the next, thunderous applause.
Watching Rodon now, it’s as if the pitcher who started the year has been replaced by a more poised, polished version of himself.
His body language exudes control. He paces the mound with the calm confidence of someone who has been through the fire and come out forged, not burned.
The boos have turned to buzz, and whispers of regret have become roars of praise.
Boone’s foresight now looks like brilliance in hindsight
Aaron Boone’s words back in April weren’t empty—they were the quiet voice of reason amid a sea of noise.
When others doubted, he saw swing-and-miss stuff and mental grit. He knew that Rodon was inches away from elite.
“I tried to tell you,” Boone said again Thursday, with a smile only vindication can bring. “He’s about to roll off a bunch in a row.”
“I tried to tell you this when he gave up the three-run homers and everyone was losing their mind. He’s about to roll off a bunch in a row.”
Aaron Boone on Carlos Rodón’s strong recent stretch: pic.twitter.com/KYuzvPQIGr
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 22, 2025
And that’s exactly what Rodon has done. Not with bravado, but with execution. Not with luck, but with labor.
Rodon’s story isn’t finished, but the page has definitely turned. From questions to confidence, he’s writing his own redemption—one pitch at a time.
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