Rodon on the rise as White Sox's No. 3 starter
Last spring, Carlos Rodon was trying to show the Chicago White Sox he was worthy of the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft.
This spring, Rodon is trying to show the Sox he is good enough to slot in as their No. 3 starting pitcher.
Mission accomplished last season, when Rodon came up from Class AAA Charlotte on April 20. After making his first three major-league appearances out of the bullpen, Rodon moved into the rotation.
It took some time - the left-hander did not pitch 7 complete innings until his 16th start and had trouble throwing strikes - but Rodon learned some valuable lessons as he was breaking in with the White Sox.
"It wasn't fun," Rodon said of his early struggles. "It sucked. Nobody likes to lose, especially when you know you are letting your team down and not giving them a chance. You know it's tough. I learned from losing and got better."
This is very true.
After going 4-4 with a 5.17 ERA in his first 15 starts, Rodon was 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA over his last eight.
"It was one of the best pitching runs I had ever," Rodon said. "It was nice. I just hope I can keep it going this year."
In his first year, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was 9-6 with a 3.75 ERA. Among major-league rookies, Rodon ranked third in wins and fifth with 139.1 innings pitched and 139 strikeouts.
"He got a full taste of being in the big leagues for a year and getting as much experience as you can give him," manager Robin Ventura said. "There were times we backed off him here and there, but to get the full experience of being in the big leagues, he got that last year and that helps give him a head start this year, coming in here with his confidence.
"He doesn't have the, 'I have to show everybody my slider.' He understands the game a little better of what he needs to do to be successful. That's the biggest thing for him coming in."
Rodon heads into the season as the Sox's No. 3 starter behind fellow lefties Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Can he handle the upward move in the rotation?
"You take it for what it is," said Rodon, a phenom collegiate starting pitcher at North Carolina State. "Step into the role and pitch well and give this team a chance. Give the team a chance and we'll be good."
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