When news broke that Gerrit Cole would be out of action for the 2025 MLB season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, fans of the New York Yankees wondered who would take the mound for their favorite club on opening day when the Bronx Bombers are set to take on the Milwaukee Brewers later this month.

Well, as it turns out, fans won't have to wait any longer, as on Friday, manager Aaron Boone made it official, announcing that Carlos Rodon would take the spot on March 27th at Yankee Stadium, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Originally drafted third overall in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft, Rodon began his career with the Chicago White Sox, where he played from 2015-2021. After an incredible season during his final year in Chicago, throwing a no-hitter and becoming an All-Star, Rodon signed a two-year, $44 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, where he was an All-Star once more before opting out of his contract and signing a new six-year, $162 million deal with the Yankees.

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Since arriving in the “City That Never Sleeps,” Rondon has been up and down for the Yankees, winning just three games in 2023 with a WAR of -0.8 before having a bounce-back campaign in 2024, where he went 16-9 with a WAR of 1.9 and a 1-2 record in the postseason.

And yet, with Cole down, Rodon suddenly became arguably the top arm in the Yankees' dugout, with Max Fried, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, and Will Warren as the team's starting pitching rotation.

Will Rodon be able to make fans forget about Cole any time soon? Unlikely, unless he can return to his San Francisco form in this more high-profile role, but even if he can't, the Yankees clearly see something in the 32-year-old that they like at least versus the Brewers, as he's been afforded the most prestigious spot in baseball on opening day over Fried and company for a reason.