New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon is making quite a case for himself.
We know that Cam Schlittler will be the New York Yankees' No. 1 starter in the postseason. That much is guaranteed. The question is what the starting rotation will look like after him.
The general consensus is that the Yankees' No. 2 and 3 starters will be some combination of Gerrit Cole and Max Fried, although Cole's recent struggles have now put a spotlight on the evolving situation.
Carlos Rodon then intensified it with his performance on Tuesday afternoon.
In the opener of New York's four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Rodon tossed eight scoreless innings, registering nine strikeouts while allowing just three hits. He also didn't issue a single walk.
Quietly, Rodon has been enjoying a tremendous season, perhaps his best as a Yankee.
Yes, Rodon's 2026 campaign has been abbreviated, as he began the year on the shelf due to offseason elbow surgery and then missed some more time as a result of an elbow issue midway through the year, but in the 16 games he has pitched, Rodon owns a 2.67 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while averaging 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
What's more, Rodon has surrendered just two runs or less in each of his last eight starts, and he has allowed one run or less in six of them.
So has Rodon now entered the conversation as a potential No. 2 or 3 starter in the Yankees' postseason rotation? And could Cole get the boot?
Cole pitched considerably better in his last outing, giving up just two runs in six innings. However, his swing-and-miss stuff still wasn't there, and it's hard to ignore just how home-run prone he has been over the last month.
Chances are, Boone will give Cole the nod based on reputation and seniority alone, but let's say the 36-year-old has another middling start this week. Then what?
At that point, Boone would have to seriously consider giving Rodon the nod. The left-hander has flown under the radar in recent weeks, but he has truly been outstanding.
It sounds unheard of to remove Cole from the top three of the Yankees' playoff rotation. But results matter, and Cole has not produced a whole lot of positive ones recently.
We'll see if Boone ultimately makes what would be a surprising decision for the postseason.
