“I definitely wanted to beat them” - Yankees' Carlos Rodon's honest take on defeating his former team

New York Yankees ace Carlos Rodon was on the mound to face his former team, the Chicago White Sox, on Sunday. He was ready to face the White Sox following an unexpected departure in 2021.

Rodon played seven seasons with the White Sox before agreeing to a two-year, $44 million contract in March 2022 with the San Francisco Giants, including an opt-out clause after the first year. After playing one with the Giants, the Yankees signed him to a six-year, $162 million contract ahead of the 2023 season.

Pumped up, Rodon brought his A-game, pitching six strong innings, where he allowed only two earned runs and four hits while striking out two against giving up two walks. The Yankees won the game 7-2 and Rodon had a few words of self motivation that helped him beat his former team.

“Going up against your former club is a big deal,” Rodon said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I definitely wanted to beat them.”

There was a moment in the game when Yankees manager Aaron Boone was thinking of pulling him out before the sixth inning. However, Rodon was confident in his abilities and completed the sixth unharmed.

“I wanted that last one,” Rodon said. “I checked the dugout and gave him a little sign, like, ‘Hey, I've got this. this one's mine.' I'm glad he left me in.”

Carlos Rodon has emerged as the leader of the starting rotation in Gerrit Cole's absence

MLB: New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

Carlos Rodon has turned things around this year, following an injury-ridden 2023 season. This season, the pitcher has emerged as the leader of the pack that saw Gerrit Cole get on the injury list just before the start of the season.

Following Cole's elbow injury, many didn't expect the Yankees to be where they are, but the starting lineup, including Rodon, Nestor Cortes Jr., Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil, have more than made up for Cole's absence.

Rodon too has embraced the clubhouse, feeling like a home to be and comfortable beside his teammates.

“I sit down in the dugout now and look around, and I feel pretty comfortable sitting in this stadium,” Rodon said. “I thought about that the first month here in April. I'm looking around and I'm like, ‘This doesn't feel overwhelming anymore. This feels like home.'”

Following Sunday's win, Carlos Rodon has improved his ERA to 3.27 with a 5-2 pitching record.