Yankees confirm starter for Opening Day 2025

The New York Yankees have decided that Carlos Rodon will be their starting pitcher on the mound for Opening Day of the 2025 season against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27. Manager Aaron Boone announced on Friday that the left-hander will get the nod ahead of new $218 million signing Max Fried after ace Gerrit Cole was ruled out for the season due to Tommy John surgery.

Rodon joined the Yankees at the start of the 2023 season on a six-year, $162 million deal on the back of two superb seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants. He had a poor campaign in his first season with the team after starting the year on the IL. Rodon had a much better season in 2024, but he remained inconsistent for much of the campaign.

Skipper Aaron Boone confirmed the news on Friday afternoon while speaking with reporters ahead of their Grapefruit League against the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

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"I feel really good about giving him the ball," Boone said via MLB.com. "He’s in the right frame of mind and throwing the ball well. I’m excited to do it, and then at the end of the day, it’s just the first.

"I think the stuff’s been there. He’s had another good winter coming off last winter, which was excellent. I feel like his arsenal continues to evolve; the secondary stuff is getting stronger and stronger. The changeup is becoming a real factor for him now. I feel like he’s doing a good job with both of the breaking balls. The stuff and the shape with the four-seam has been there. He’s in a good spot," he added.

Following the injury to Gerrit Cole last week, Max Fried was expected to be the Opening Day starter for the reigning American League champions after completing an eight-year, $218 million contract during this offseason.

It’s just the first game of the season: Carlos Rodon on being Yankees starter for Opening Day 2025

Carlos Rodon pitched for the White Sox and the Giants before joining the Yankees (Image Source: IMAGN)

Considering his checkered track record with the New York Yankees over the past two seasons, Carlos Rodon was a surprise choice to be their starting pitcher for Opening Day 2025. Rodon offered his reactions to the news in an interview with YES Network.

"Just an honor; I’m excited," Rodon said. "I just want to go out there and win the game. Honestly, it’s just the first game of the season and another baseball game.

"It was quite the journey, for sure. Some ups and downs. You just had to change up the mix a little bit and rely on some offspeed and have a little more pitchability," he added.

Rodon made 32 starts in 2024, the most in a season during his career, and pitched 172.0 innings with 170 strikeouts. He posted a 16-9 record courtesy of the Yankees offense, as he finished the year with a 3.96 ERA and 1.223 WHIP.

About the author

Paranjoy Goswami (Bobo) is a baseball reporter at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience writing with publications such as Eagle Bet, India Bet and Paradine.

He has provided full coverage, match previews and betting tips on major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, ICC World Cup, Indian Premier League and several others.

Bobo grew up supporting the Red Sox but has also been on the Phillies bandwagon for the past couple of years. He also roots for the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners.

While he hasn't played much baseball, Bobo's fascination with the sport started with an 8-bit Nintendo game, where he picked up the basic rules. He started watching live MLB matches on TV about 20 years ago and his love for baseball just grew by leaps and bounds from then on.

Bobo's favorite player was probably Tim Wakefield as not only was he the best knuckleball pitcher of his time, but he was also a Red Sox legend, an outstanding team player and a great human being. Among the current generation, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper get the nod.

Bobo's favorite moment in baseball history was when the Red Sox beat the Yankees before breaking their World Series curse in 2004. That said, Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier was the most important.

Outside of baseball, Bobo's interests include literature, comics, world history, science fiction, satire, classic movies, PC games, pets, playing sports, cycling, traveling, sightseeing and quiet reflection.

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Edited by Veer Badani