$162M pitcher sparks Derek Jeter talk among Yankees fans

The New York Yankees made it four wins in a row after edging the Los Angeles Angels for a 3-2 win on Tuesday. The win came on the back of a strong pitching performance by ace Carlos Rodon.

Carlos Rodon arguably had the best start of the season as the All-Star pitcher pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and striking out 10 Angels hitters.

While he was at his dominant best from the mound, Rodon's acrobatic play in Tuesday's start caught the eyes of fans. Rodon, who is signed to a $162 million contract, was off the mound in an instant in the fourth inning to make an impressive jump throw to tag out Jo Adell at first base.

Rodon's athleticism drew comparisons with Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who was known for his iconic jump throw in his two-decade-long career as a shortstop.

"Close enough. Welcome back, Jeter," wrote a fan.

"His best Jeter impression," wrote another.

"Our new 3rd baseman," chimed in another fan.

Others also highlighted Carlos Rodon's dominance from the mound in his latest outings.

"When Rodon is on he’s on, his game holds up with any pitcher in the AL," wrote a fan.

"He has been great this season he’s locked in," wrote another fan.

"We would’ve changed the beard policy the day he signed if we knew he’d be playing like this with a full beard," joked a fan.

Despite Carlos Rodon's solid display from the mound, the Yankees suffered a late scare after closer Devin Williams allowed two runs in the ninth to make it 3-2. However, Williams survived the late onslaught to make it eight wins in nine games for the Yankees.

Carlos Rodon leaves teammate impressed with acrobatic play

Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu, who watched Rodon make the impressive play from second base, was surprised by the starting pitcher's athleticism.

“I didn’t see that one coming, to be honest with you," LeMahieu said. "He’s an athletic guy, though. That was pretty impressive.”

Carlos Rodon was shaky at the start of the season, going 1-3 with a 5.48 ERA in his first four starts. However, the Yankees ace has grown in confidence, registering a 1.27 ERA with a 6-0 record in his last eight games.

In the absence of Gerrit Cole, Rodon has formed a solid 1-2 punch with Max Fried, who is mounting a serious challenge for the AL Cy Young Award with his new team.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash