New York Post | Greg Joyce: Carlos Rodón continues to work back from offseason arm surgery, and he’s surprised himself a bit in bullpen sessions. “I backed off and threw harder,” Rodón said. “I was like, ‘OK, that makes no sense.’ But it made it easier to command. It’s just little ins and outs of pitching, trying to find the stroke again, knowing how much effort in this pitch and the line of this pitch.” The radar readings on Rodón thus far have been promising, with the left-hander reportedly sitting in the 93 mph range and touching 95 mph. There’s reason to hope that at full health in 2026, Rodón can rediscover a bit of the velocity he lost in 2025.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) One of the few remaining positional battles on the Yankees roster exists in the underbelly of the bullpen, and a new name to watch is that of Kervin Castro. The 27-year-old Venezuelan has been with the organization since being selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in 2023, and he’s impressed some key figures with a strong performance this spring. “Kervin’s got my attention,” Aaron Boone said this weekend. “Elite human being,” bullpen coach Preston Claiborne added. Though Castro is still unlikely to make the bullpen out of camp barring injuries, he certainly seems to be in the mix for a call-up once the regular season gets going.
MLB.com | Jonathan Mayo: Mayo runs down the state of the Yankees’ farm system, which was depleted after the club sent out 17 prospects as part of midseason trades last season. But the Yankees have shown an ability to restock even while sending out boatloads of players; Mayo highlights the $10,000 international signing of Jesus Rodriguez, who helped net Camilo Doval last summer, and Rafael Flores, an undrafted free agent who went to Pittsburgh in the David Bednar trade. Now, the Yankees are looking for their 2025 draft class to flourish and help replenish a system that seems a little thinner at the moment. First-round pick Dax Kilby has thus far been up to the task, starting fast with the organization in 2025 and already ranking among the top 100 prospects in the game despite falling to the Yankees at the 39th pick.
FanGraphs | David Laurilla: As part of his Sunday Notes, Laurilla spoke with Aaron Boone at camp, where Boone noted that last spring was the first time he got a good look at Cam Schlittler, thinking to himself at the time that Schlittler was going to quickly make an impact on the Yankees. Laurilla asked which players fit that bill this year, and Boone highlighted Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez, and Ben Hess. At this point, fans have heard Lagrange and Rodríguez’s names quite a bit this spring, and it’s no surprise that either could be factor come midseason. Hess, the team’s 2024 first rounder, is more of a dark horse, but it’s notable that the Yankee manager called him out by name. The right-hander had an impressive first full season in pro ball last year, and could earn himself a ticket to the Bronx sooner rather than later if he stays on an upward trajectory.
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