Former NC State All-American Carlos Rodon is the Yankees’ 2025 Opening Day Starter

Former NC State All-American pitcher Carlos Rodón will be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter for 2025. The game is set for March 27th at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.

New York’s ace, Gerrit Cole, will miss the entirety of the 2025 season due to a recent announcement that he requires Tommy John surgery.

This isn’t Rodón’s first rodeo as an Opening Day starter, having previously taken the mound in 2019 as a member of the Chicago White Sox. In that contest, the former Wolfpack star suffered a loss, giving up two earned runs in 5.1 innings while striking out six.

Rodón is entering his third year in New York after signing a six-year contract worth $162 million in 2023. Despite a challenging start in 2023 with a record of 3-8 and a 6.85 ERA, Rodón settled in last season, finishing with a 16-9 record and a 3.96 ERA, striking out 195 batters in 175 innings. He was tied for the second-most wins in all of Major League Baseball last season and ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings.

The former NC State All-American is entering his 11th season in the MLB with a career record of 75-63, a 3.85 ERA, and 1,206 strikeouts in 1,086.2 innings.

The two-time All-Star ranks second in NC State history in career MLB wins, fourth in ERA among starting pitchers, and first in strikeouts.