Carlos Rodon approached Friday’s live batting practice session with a touch of bravado, despite surrendering four home runs during the session. After being blasted out of the ground four times by two Yankees prospects, the starting pitcher put up a brave face.
The pitcher said that he had always been in a competitive spirit and while he didn’t intend to give up those homers, being hit by his teammates helped him to reckon with.
“I’m always competing,” Carlos Rodon told. “I don’t want to give up [those] homers, but I’m glad I gave it up to our guys. Make them feel good about themselves.”
Carlos Rodon puts up a brave face
The Yankees pitcher, sporting a smile, conveyed mixed feelings about the live batting practice session. Despite starting poorly with back-to-back home runs by minor leaguers Josh Breaux and Agustin Ramirez, Carlos Rodon managed to conclude the session on a stronger note. Nonetheless, the left-hander, who struggled in his debut season with the Yankees, wasn’t entirely satisfied with the session’s outset. Additionally, he surrendered homers to minor leaguers Ben Rice and Jose Rojas.
Carlos Rodon remarked that the hitters connected well with some fastballs, acknowledging their success. Reflecting on his performance last season, where he achieved a 3-8 record with a 6.85 ERA, he emphasized the importance of incorporating a variety of pitches into his repertoire. Despite the setbacks, he expressed satisfaction with his mechanics and aimed to build upon this experience for future sessions.
During these practice sessions, minor league batters, in contrast to their major league counterparts, tend to swing aggressively at pitches, often lacking a strategic approach. This style of play was disliked by veteran pitchers like Mariano Rivera and others throughout the years when facing minor league hitters.
Carlos Rodon mentioned that toward the end, he managed to execute some effective sequences against the left-handed hitters, particularly highlighting his two strikeouts of Spencer Jones, one of the organization’s highly regarded position prospects. He emphasized the importance of incorporating curveballs and refining the cutter during the session, considering it a positive aspect of his performance.
Carlos Rodon commented on the progress of his cutter, a pitch he’s been focusing on during spring training, stating, “It’s coming along. Keep working with it, keep throwing it.”
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