Elmer Rodríguez is off to a hot start in 2026.
Rodríguez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 Yankees prospect and No. 77 overall prospect in baseball, allowed two runs (one earned) across five innings in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 10-2 loss to Durham at PNC Field on Friday, the first game of a doubleheader. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out five batters, allowed three hits and issued two walks.
Over the course of his five innings, Rodríguez retained his fastball velocity. The pitch -- which averaged 94.7 mph -- was put into play five times, but just once did it register as hard-hit (95+ mph exit velocity). He threw a first-pitch strike to 12 of the 18 batters he faced.
Through two starts, Rodríguez has allowed three runs (two earned) in 10 innings, good for a 1.80 ERA. He’s struck out seven batters, only allowed seven hits and walked four batters. Rodríguez spent most of last season with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, but made one start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his final outing of the year.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2021 Draft by the Red Sox, Rodríguez was traded to the Yankees in the Carlos Narvaez trade in December 2024, a rare Red Sox-Yankees trade that might benefit both teams. Rodríguez is ranked as Pipeline’s second-best Yankees pitching prospect behind Carlos Lagrange, the No. 74 overall prospect.
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