The New York Yankees will be without their ace for the 2025 season, but it was revealed who will get the ball to kick off the campaign on March 27.
Hosting the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees will turn to southpaw Carlos Rodon to fill the void left by Gerrit Cole, who is recovering following a successful Tommy John surgery that included an internal brace.
Rodon is scheduled to take on Freddy Peralta with first pitch on track for 3:05 p.m. ET, the first game to kick off the slate of Thursday games.
After a disastrous initial season with the Yankees in 2023 that included a 6.85 ERA while dealing with various injuries, Rodon bounced back to his typical self in 2024. Though he was still a bit volatile, he posted a solid 3.96 ERA with 195 strikeouts, 57 walks and a 1.22 WHIP in 175 innings across 32 starts.
Rodon was stronger in The Bronx than he was on the road, posting a 9-2 record with a 3.11 ERA in 14 starts. Conversely, he was 7-7 on the road with a 4.69 ERA.
The 32-year-old also put together a fantastic second half of the season when he went 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 12 starts after the All-Star break.
The Yankees will have Max Fried scheduled to start the next game against the Brewers, making his New York debut since signing a $218 million deal this offseason.
