Veteran hurler Carlos Carrasco delivered a vintage performance at a time when his role in the Yankees’ rotation is in flux and provided a glimmer of hope amid a pitching crisis.
Facing the Kansas City Royals at home on Monday night, Carlos Carrasco tossed five stellar innings, allowing just one hit in the Yankees’ 4-1 triumph. The lone hiccup came via Bobby Witt Jr.’s solo shot in the third, but otherwise, the 38-year-old displayed remarkable poise, timely efficiency, and unexpected dominance from a pitcher whose 2025 campaign began with considerable doubt.
“Just moxie, man,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone remarked postgame. “A big five innings by him.”
Carrasco recorded four strikeouts against two walks, posting his first outing with fewer than two hits across at least five frames since his Cleveland days in 2016. For a Yankees squad whose starting rotation entered the contest with baseball’s worst ERA (5.40), Carrasco’s sudden excellence wasn’t merely fortuitous — it was essential.
Welcome relief as rotation crisis reaches critical levels
The Yankees’ pitching staff has been decimated in early 2025. Ace Gerrit Cole is shelved for the season after elbow surgery, Marcus Stroman recently landed on the injured list with knee problems, Luis Gil is sidelined until June, and Clarke Schmidt is expected back midweek following his own brief IL stint.
This thrust Carrasco, who signed a minor league contract during the offseason, into a role many believed would be temporary at best. After surrendering 11 runs through his first 12.2 innings this season, including a disastrous showing against Detroit where he yielded three homers in one inning, rumors swirled that his Yankees tenure might be short-lived.
Instead, Carrasco delivered a performance reminiscent of his prime years.
“He was great at not giving in to an aggressive lineup,” catcher Austin Wells observed. “His changeup had real life.”
According to Baseball Savant, Carrasco’s changeup generated a 50% whiff rate, accounting for half of his ten swing-and-misses on the evening. He leaned heavily on this pitch, using it to secure a critical strikeout and foul out to finish his outing. Following Witt’s homer, Carrasco retired the final seven batters he faced, sparking a stretch where Yankees pitchers set down 15 consecutive Royals.
Stats still concerning — but signs of improvement?
Carrasco’s season statistics remain troubling. Before Monday, opponents were batting .333/.377/.676 against him, with his expected batting average (.307) offering little comfort. He ranked fifth-worst in MLB in FIP (6.52) among pitchers with at least 10 innings and struggled mightily to limit hard contact.
Yet for five innings against Kansas City, Carrasco appeared to shed these issues. He navigated around early pitch count problems — caused by extended at-bats and first-inning walks — before finding his groove with off-speed offerings.
“I just go pitch, one pitch at a time,” Carrasco explained. “That’s what I did — and we were able to get out of the inning.”
This approach helped him escape a jam in the first, where he walked two of the initial three batters. By the third inning’s conclusion, his pitch count had swelled to 59. But he regained composure and maintained efficiency, showcasing the veteran instincts that once made him among the American League’s most dependable starters.
Future in flux — but temporary security achieved
Despite his standout showing, Carrasco’s long-term position with the Yankees remains ambiguous. Once Schmidt returns this week and Gil follows in June, the organization faces difficult rotation decisions — particularly if another prospect emerges from the farm system.
For now, however, Carrasco has earned his spot, especially with Stroman’s return timeline unclear.
Boone acknowledged that they needed exactly that kind of start, and Carrasco delivered precisely what the team required.
With the Yankees at 9-7 and narrowly leading the AL East, every rotation slot carries heightened significance. Max Fried, acquired from Atlanta during the offseason, stands as the sole consistent performer among starters, but the Yankees can’t rely exclusively on him every five days.
Carrasco’s effort may not cement his position indefinitely, but it provides the Yankees valuable breathing room — time for Schmidt’s proper return, for reassessing Stroman’s condition, and for preventing overuse of a bullpen already stretched thin in April.
A glimpse of potential staying power
Carrasco’s resurgence follows several tumultuous seasons. He bounced from the Mets to the Guardians before landing in the Bronx with minimal fanfare this spring. At 38, most viewed him as merely an innings-eater rather than a rotation stabilizer.
But Monday’s performance suggested untapped potential remains. If he continues refining his command while leaning on his increasingly effective changeup, Carrasco might transcend his stopgap status.
He could emerge as an unexpected cornerstone in a rotation battling to weather the early-season injury storm.
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