Yariel Rodríguez was signed in the winter before the 2024 season. He got a five-year, $32 million contract. In his rookie year, he had a 4.47 ERA in 21 starts but a 1-8 record. The team didn’t score much for him, but his ERA was just a little worse than league average, which isn’t all […]
Yariel Rodríguez was signed in the winter before the 2024 season. He got a five-year, $32 million contract.
In his rookie year, he had a 4.47 ERA in 21 starts but a 1-8 record. The team didn’t score much for him, but his ERA was just a little worse than league average, which isn’t all that bad for a rookie.
He likely should have been a reliever, but we were short of starters in 2024.
This year, he was a reliever:
| Age | WAR | W | L | ERA | G | GS | GF | CG | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ERA+ | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1.4 | 3 | 2 | 3.08 | 66 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 73.0 | 50 | 26 | 25 | 8 | 34 | 3 | 66 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 298 | 139 | 4.40 |
A good ERA. Baseball Reference had him at a 1.4 WAR. But FanGraphs had him down at a 0.1, giving him a value of $800,000 to the Jays.
He had a 4.40 FIP and a 4.60 xFIP (which is why the fWAR was so much worse than the bWAR).
Yariel had a .228 BABIP. 81.2% of his baserunners were stranded. The BABIP is very low, I can’t imagine it will be that low next year.
His strikeout rate was 22.1% (down from 23.1), and his walk rate was 11.4% (up from 10.9).
Rodríguez’s line drive rate was 19.6% (down from 21.0). Ground ball rate 39.7% (up from 37.4). Fly ball 40.7% (down slightly from 41.6).
His soft contact was 20.8% (up from 18.4). Hard contact 27.1% (about the same as last year, 27.2).
Yariel was much better against RHB (.176/.241/.302) than LHB (.229/.393/.365). Too bad we can’t use relievers for one batter anymore.
He was much better at home (2.25, batters hit .145/.265/.265) than on the road (3.89 ERA, batters hit .239/.338/377).
He was better in the first half (2.47 ERA, batters hit .176/.267/.327) than the second half (4.21, batters hit .229/.362/.323).
Rodríguez by month:
- April: 0-0, 5.68 ERA in 11 games, 1 start. In 12.2 innings, batters hit .255/.375/.596 with 4 home runs, 7 walks and 10 strikeouts.
- May: 0-0, 0.53 ERA in 13 games. In 17.0 innings, batters hit .118/.164/.118 with no home runs, 3 walks and 18 strikeouts.
- June: 2-0, 2.45 ERA in 9 games. In 11 innings, batters hit .132/.195/.342 with 2 home runs, 2 walks and 10 strikeouts.
- July: 0-0, 2.13 ERA in 13 games. In 12.2 innings, batters hit .196/.315/.196 with 0 home runs, 7 walks and 11 strikeouts.
- August: 0-1, 7.71 ERA in 11 games. In 9.1 innings, batters hit .273/.442/.424 with 1 home run, 9 walks and 8 strikeouts.
- September: 1-1, 1.74 ERA in 9 games. In 10.1 innings batters hit .225/.340/.325 with 1 home run, 6 walks and 9 strikeouts.
Subtract April and August and it would have been a good season.
The Jays were 38-28 in game he appeared in.
By Catcher:
- Tyler Heineman: 1.80 ERA. Batters hit .153/.242/.212 in 96 PA.
- Alejandro Kirk: 3.50 ERA. Batters hit .211/.326/.385 in 191 PA.
- Ali Sanchez: 10.80 ERA. Batters hit .333/.455/.333 in 11 PA.
He was better in high leverage spots holding batters to a .167/.292/.233 than in low leverage spots, .218/.316/.398.
Yariel threw 2 innings in 7 appearances (not allowing an earned run in any of those game) and more than one inning in 24 appearances, but never more than two innings.
Consistency is not Yariel’s middle name. Some days, he was great and some he wasn’t.
He was DFAed, dropped from the active roster, but he’s still in the organization. He’ll make $6.6 million in 2026, $7.6 million in 2027, and there is a team option for $11.6 million in 2028, with a $7.6 million player option. So the Jays are going to be spending $21.8 million on him, so he’ll get chances to make the team.
Rodriguez has potential and all. And he has good days.
He threw four pitches:
- Slider: 41.3% of the time, batters hitting .134 against it.
- Four Seamer: 40.8% of the time, batters hitting .266 against it. Averaged 95.7 mph.
- Split finger: 11.9%. Batters hitting .182 against it.
- Sinker: 6.0%. Batters hitting .292 against it.
I don’t know what the plan is with him. If they are going to bury him in the minors and take the loss, or if they will let him prove he deserves a spot on the team. He’ll be 29 by the start of the 2026 season, so if he’s going to have a career, he’ll have to get it going soon.
Category: General Sports
