From mystery to promise, Rodríguez proves himself in rookie season

TORONTO -- Everything was new to Yariel Rodríguez this year. The hitters, the cities, the lifestyle, all of it.

Pitching aside, there’s a big difference between the Rodríguez who walked into Dunedin, Fla., for the first time in February and the man who walked off the field on Saturday in Toronto, hat in his hand, waving to the crowd. His shoulders rest a few inches lower now, the comfort that comes with knowing you belong.

Saturday was a decent ending to a good season. Rodríguez allowed three runs over five-plus innings in the Blue Jays’ 8-1 loss to the Marlins, and while nothing about his season has stopped you dead in your tracks, that’s not the bar he was meant to be held to in 2024. Rodríguez has done enough for Year 1, fresh off a period when he didn’t even pitch competitively in 2023. His most recent pro innings before that came out of the Chunichi Dragons’ bullpen in Japan in '22.

Rodríguez is allowing himself to acknowledge how far he’s come, but only for a moment.

“This was not exactly the year that I wanted,” Rodríguez said through a club interpreter. “I know I can be better than this. At the same time, I [came] from the Minors and got better. I’m going to keep working hard this offseason and hopefully have a good year next year.”

Rodríguez has put himself in a fine position to stick in this rotation along with José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis. He’s set a new foundation. Now, it’s time to build.

By the numbers

Rodríguez will finish the season with a 4.47 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 86 2/3 innings. Add his time in Triple-A Buffalo, and that workload climbs up to 107 innings, which is a fine place to be given where he started the year, especially if he continues to build up as a member of this rotation.

“I don’t want to put a number on him for next year, but you can add 40-50 [innings] to that pretty easily,” manager John Schneider said, “with how he is in age, athleticism, all of that stuff. This is what we were targeting this year.”

Schneider and the Blue Jays’ coaching staff have noticed Rodríguez grow more comfortable and confident in the latter half of the season. There’s so much more involved than you see on TV each night -- from meetings to the weight room, nutrition, travel, meeting with the media and a million other things. When that side of things becomes “normal,” it’s easier to take the next step on the field.

“His routines have definitely developed in between starts. The last thing we’re looking for is his pitch mix,” Schneider said. “That’s something we’ve talked about over the last month, but that’s the next step for him. I think his maturity, the regular stuff he’s doing in between starts, that’s the biggest part.”

What’s the next step?

Schneider laid it out simply when asked what could look different about Rodríguez in 2025. There’s plenty to work with there -- his stuff isn’t going to be the issue -- but the Blue Jays would like to deploy it differently.

“More fastballs, more splitters, a little bit less of the slider,” Schneider said. “I think that’s where we’re leaning. We haven’t really discussed that with him in detail yet, but that’s what we all see.”

Walks were Rodríguez’s main challenge. He gave up 40 free bases in 86 2/3 innings, which he’s quick to identify as his own biggest area for growth. Rodríguez is also quick to mention his splitter, in particular, and he has some excellent examples to lean on in teammates like Gausman, Bassitt, Francis and Erik Swanson.

Those walks also brought some frustration to Rodríguez, which he wants to better manage going forward.

“Especially when I would get a walk,” Rodríguez said. “Every time I would get a walk, maybe I was a little frustrated or lost focus a little bit for the next hitter. That’s something I really need to work on this offseason, something I need to get better on.”

If anything, Rodríguez is a bit harsh in his own self-evaluation, but that energy can only benefit him when channeled properly. Rodríguez was MLB’s closest thing to a mystery when he walked into camp over seven months ago, and while some of the unknown has become clear, he still holds so much upside. The next time Rodríguez lands in Dunedin, he’ll know exactly where he’s going, and his game should only benefit from that.