“Beyond Home Runs: Uncovering the Hidden Secrets of the Yankees’ Opening Weekend Triumphs and Trials”

Carlos Rodón’s new sinker

The Yankees southpaw looked crisp in his first Opening Day start in pinstripes, allowing just one run and tallying seven strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings. Rodón’s 2024 was much better than his disastrous debut year in New York, but it still came in below his standards. Adding a sinker to his arsenal could help Rodón change the tide.

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For much of his career, Rodón was effectively a two-pitch pitcher, using a high-carry fastball and a biting slider to create whiffs. Last year, he worked in a changeup, a curveball and the occasional cutter, a pitch that garnered hype in the early going but proved relatively ineffective. Now he and the Yankees are hoping that the sinker, which he threw 12% of the time on Thursday, will be a different story. The new offering generates a ton of drop for a pitch in its velocity range. Keep an eye on it.

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