It had been exactly 14 years since the last time a New York Yankees left-handed pitcher broke the 200-strikeout barrier in a Major League Baseball season. But the drought came to an end on Thursday when Carlos Rodon left five Chicago White Sox rivals with the rifle on their shoulders and surpassed 200 strikeouts in 2025.
One of the aces of the New York rotation pitched six innings, allowing three runs and four hits, including a home run by Michael A. Taylor. Aside from that damage, Rodon controlled the situation and received just enough support from his teammates to stay in the fight for the American League East Division title.
“It was fine. I just tried to attack the zone. There are a couple of pitches I would have liked to have done differently, but I’m happy with the win. I can’t be upset,” the lefty said after Thursday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
I’m glad I was able to go out there and pitch every five or six days, compete and try to win every game.
Rodon finished the regular season with 18 wins and nine losses in 33 starts, a 3.09 ERA and 195 innings pitched. “It’s a little hard to think about that now, because we have some very important games ahead of us, but it was good. I’m glad I was able to go out and pitch every five or six days, compete and try to win every game,” Rodon added.
Above CC Sabathia and Randy Johnson
If we look at the historical data, only five Yankees left-handed pitchers had achieved 200 or more strikeouts in a Major League season. The first to do so – in 1961 – was Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, and he was followed by Al Downing, Ron Guidry, Randy Johnson and CC Sabathia, the latter two also immortals in Cooperstown.
- Whitey Ford (1961): 209 strikeouts in 283 innings/Average of 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Al Downing (1964): 217 strikeouts in 244 innings/Average of 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings
- Ron Guidry (1978): 248 strikeouts in 273.2 innings/Pitching average of 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Ron Guidry (1979): 201 strikeouts in 236.1 innings/Pitching average of 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings
- Randy Johnson (2005): 211 strikeouts in 225.2 innings/Average of 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
- CC Sabathia (2011): 230 strikeouts in 237.1 innings/Pitching average of 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Carlos Rodon (2025): 203 strikeouts in 195.1 innings/Average of 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
As we can see, Rodon’s totals are lower than almost all the other lefties on the list, which is understandable when you consider that today’s starters have a different workload, as relievers play a bigger role. However, his strikeout rate per nine innings is higher than those other Yankees legends.
200 strikeouts, a well-known goal
This is the second time in his career that Rodon has surpassed 200 strikeouts, as in 2022 he retired 237 opponents on strikes when he was with the San Francisco Giants. That year he had an exceptional performance, with 31 starts, 178 innings of work, 14 wins and a 2.88 ERA. He also led all MLB starters with an average of 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
That performance earned him a sixth-place finish in the National League Cy Young Award voting and caught the attention of the Yankees, who went after him in free agency. After negotiations, the Bombers managed to sign him to a six-year, $162 million deal.
Heading into the postseason
Rodon already has his roadmap for the postseason defined. Regardless of what happens in the three games this weekend between the Yankees and the Orioles, the left-hander will be the starter for the second game of the Wild Card Series or the Division Series, depending on where the Bombers finish the regular season.
If they manage to displace Toronto, they will have to wait a few days to face the Divisional Series, but if the Blue Jays finish on top, then Rodon will return to the mound next week in the Wild Card games.
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