MLB news: Jordan Walker sees a ghost, Carlos Rodon’s rough debut, Ohtani at WBC

MLB news: Carlos Rodon struggles in Yankees debut

As much as baseball fans — especially Yankees fans — tend to overreact about MLB Spring Training, can I recommend sitting this one out?

Yes, Carlos Rodon struggled a bit in his debut for the Yankees. The more important outing will likely come on April 1 at Yankee Stadium. Rodon gave up five runs on six hits against the red-hot Braves hitters this past weekend, but it occurred for a reason.

Yankees news: Carlos Rodon struggled for a reason

New York took a look at Rodon’s recent spring training history. The oft-injured pitchers hasn’t had too many healthy springs, but in 2021, he sat around the 92-93 MPH range. So, despite the fact that Rodon can reach back and really sling it, Aaron Boone asked him to hold himself back a bit on the fastball. The end result was some inconsistency, and the Atlanta hitters having a field day off a good pitcher.

“I wanted to reach back and throw harder,” Rodon said. “But I told myself to trust the process, I guess. But a younger me would have said, ‘Eff that, I’m going to throw one as hard as I can right here.’ I’m glad I didn’t do that.”

Aaron Boone explained the method to his madness to the New York Post.

“The thing I don’t want him to do is start reaching because he’s supposed to throw 96, 97, 98,” Boone said. “This is in line with where he is every spring. So I don’t want him to feel like he’s got to impress us on March 5 and overdo it and get in a bad spot mechanically or start to do something.”

Rodon knows deep down this game doesn’t mean anything, and fans in New York should, too. Rodon will be ready for the regular season. He was signed by the Yankees to be a co-ace with Gerrit Cole, and barring anything out of the norm from his previous two seasons, he will deliver.