Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon has shown significant improvement in his second year with the team, but WFAN host Keith McPherson believes that trusting him with the ball in the playoffs would be a mistake. During a recent segment, McPherson described the idea of starting Rodon in a postseason game as “self-sabotage,” citing concerns about the pitcher’s mental focus and consistency.
McPherson doubts Carlos Rodon’s playoff reliability
Carlos Rodon’s recent outing against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday raised red flags for McPherson. In the first inning, Nationals outfielder James Wood scored on a balk by Rodon, who was attempting to step off the rubber due to a PitchCom malfunction. The Yankees later revealed that they had been experiencing technical difficulties with the PitchCom devices throughout the series. Despite the team’s efforts to manage the situation, the malfunction contributed to Rodón’s struggles on the mound.
In that game, Carlos Rodon allowed five earned runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out eight over 5 2/3 innings. Although he battled through the outing, the damage was done early, leading to a 5-2 loss, his ninth defeat of the season.
McPherson expressed concern about Carlos Rodon’s ability to maintain focus under pressure. “He gets in his head,” McPherson said. “It takes a certain level of focus. He has to be dialed in and locked in. He’s so easily rattled. We’ve seen Rodón be good, but we’ve seen him be more bad. Do you feel comfortable giving him the ball in the postseason, knowing the wind could blow the wrong way and he’ll have a hissy fit? Hell no.”
This season, Carlos Rodon has shown improvement over his challenging debut year with the Yankees. After going 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts last season, he has rebounded with a 14-9 record and a 4.31 ERA, striking out 161 batters in 146 1/3 innings. However, McPherson remains skeptical about whether Rodón can be trusted in the high-stakes environment of the playoffs, where every pitch is magnified.
As the Yankees continue their push for the postseason, the decision of whether to rely on Carlos Rodon could have significant implications. While his regular-season numbers have improved, the pressure and intensity of playoff baseball are a different beast. McPherson’s comments underscore the uncertainty surrounding Rodón’s ability to handle that pressure and deliver when it matters most.
In the coming weeks, the Yankees’ management will need to weigh Carlos Rodon’s performance and mental resilience carefully as they make decisions about their postseason rotation. With the stakes higher than ever, the team must consider whether Rodón’s potential for volatility is worth the risk in October.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
