Carlos Rodon shares first reaction after Aaron Boone announce him as Opening Day starter

The New York Yankees announced on Friday that left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon is going to be their starter on Opening Day of the 2025 season against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium on March 27. Rodon said he will treat the contest just like any other game during the year, although he acknowledged it was a massive privilege to be able to take the mound for his team on the first day of the season.

Carlos Rodon was selected as the third overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Chicago Sox. He made his major league debut the following year and spent seven seasons with the team before getting traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2021. Rodon later signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the New York Yankees ahead of the 2023 season.

On Friday, Carlos Rodon offered his reactions to the news in an interview with YES Network from the New York Yankees dugout during their Grapefruit League game with the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

"Just an honor; I’m excited," he 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," Rodon added.

Rodon has struggled badly at times on the mound since joining the Yankees, especially during the 2023 campaign when he started the season on the IL. He had a much better season last year, and his team will need him to take a step forward with their ace, Gerrit Cole, being ruled out with injury for the entire year.

"I feel like his arsenal continues to evolve": Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon is heading into his third season with the Yankees (Image Source: IMAGN)

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone officially announced that Carlos Rodon would be their starting pitcher for Opening Day during a pre-game press conference on Friday afternoon.

"I feel really good about giving him the ball," Boone said. "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.

Rodon was also the Opening Day starter for the Chicago White Sox in 2019. The southpaw made two All-Star Game appearances and finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young race in the two previous years before joining the New York Yankees in 2023.