Elmer Rodríguez, the No. 3 prospect for the New York Yankees, delivered another solid outing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 23. Rodríguez allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out a season-high seven batters over 5 2/3 innings in the RailRiders’ 2-0 loss to Rochester at PNC Field.
Rodríguez’s performance is drawing attention due to his effective use of multiple pitches. The right-hander has allowed just three earned runs over 21 1/3 innings this season and holds a 1.27 earned run average, which ranks him twelfth among pitchers with at least ten innings pitched in the International League this year.
Throughout his recent start, Rodríguez relied on his fastball, slider, and sinker. His fastball sat in the mid-90s miles per hour and reached up to nearly 96 mph with a high chase rate from opposing hitters. His sinker averaged more than sixteen inches of horizontal break, helping him maintain a ground-ball rate above fifty-five percent so far this season.
The most effective pitch during Wednesday’s game was Rodríguez’s slider, which produced four swings-and-misses and demonstrated good movement that has contributed to a forty percent whiff rate overall this year. He also mixed in his curveball as an additional swing-and-miss option.
Rodríguez has built upon last year’s campaign when he advanced from High-A Hudson Valley to Triple-A and ranked second across Minor League Baseball with one hundred seventy-six strikeouts. His improved velocity and consistent delivery have contributed to sustained success over his last twenty-one starts dating back to last year.
