LOS ANGELES — Carlos Rodon will take the mound Saturday where another lefty starter, Fernando Valenzuela, tossed a 147-pitch complete game in a Game 3 win over the Yankees in the 1981 World Series.
So far this postseason, Rodon hasn’t thrown more than 93 pitches in a start — a number that’s on the higher side of the scale in the modern game.
Though Rodon understands the reasons for the change over the years — ranging from analytics to stronger bullpens to other factors — he said he does miss the days when starting pitchers were expected to pitch deep into games.
“I definitely like the old-school way of baseball, and I also enjoy the analytics of baseball and understand the moves within the game, [avoiding the] third time through [the lineup] and all this … technology,’’ Rodon said before the Yankees’ crushing 6-3, 10-inning loss to Los Angeles in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.
“But I enjoyed [it] when pitchers would go out there and throw 130 pitches, and you let them go out and get through seven innings. Because if you didn’t get through six or seven innings, it was kind of like a bad start, it seemed like, pre-2010, I would say, if there was a starter that didn’t give you [length]. Now you get two times through the order, and the bullpen is so good nowadays, and these guys throw so hard, it’s easy to go and rely on them as well.’’
The game mostly lacks that now, in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Starting pitching has dwindled to the point that the mighty Dodgers are expected to use a bullpen game during the World Series, something they’ve done throughout the postseason.
The Yankees rotation is in better shape, and to win a 28th title, their starters almost certainly will have to play a significant role.
Rodon, after a disastrous first season in The Bronx, has contributed both in the regular season and the playoffs.
He pitched well enough into the fifth inning of their ALCS clincher in Cleveland, and even though the Yankees have been aggressive going to their bullpen, he has higher goals for Saturday as part of his turnaround from 2023.
“I think a lot of it has to do with just confidence,” Rodon said. “Confidence in my ability and in myself. Just finding it and going out there and competing and proving to myself that I’m able to still play this game because last year was hard. I mean, it wasn’t easy. Obviously I wish I’d performed better, but last year’s last year. And I had a goal coming into this year that I just wanted to be confident and go out there and try to make every start I can. I think it has worked out thus far, but there’s one more thing that I know me and my teammates want to do.’’