Carlos Rodon's 2023 wasn't really a year to remember, baseball-wise of course. The pitcher started the season with a forearm injury, which caused him to miss games until July. New York Yankees fans eagerly anticipated his debut with the team, hoping that he'll finally play the first season of his six-year, $161 million contract. Once he eventually stepped foot on the diamond, however, the results weren't what many expected.

Throwing 1,133 pitches, Rodon ended up with a 6.85 ERA in just 64.1 innings. This was a far cry from his previous years with the New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox, where the pitcher garnered numbers to put him in the All-Star game twice. During the 2022 and 2021 seasons, Rodon tallied 2.88 and 2.37 ERAs, respectively.

Still, it looks like 2024 could see the 31-year-old bringing back his old form. In a recent live batting practice with the Yankees, Rodon's fastball was reportedly in the mid-90s mark, going as high as 97 mph. (per SNY's Andy Martino)

This was an improvement to last spring's training sessions, where the left-hander's fastball sat around 90-92 mph. Additionally, Rodon showed up to this year's practices with a significantly leaner physique, which is also a positive sign for the Yankees as it looks to bounce back from a quiet 2023 campaign.

Winning just 82 games, the New York finished their season with a fourth-place finish in the AL East. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in 2016, ending a year marred by disappointing losing streaks.

Regardless, with Juan Soto entering the picture, 2024 is projected to be a bounce-back year for the Yankees. And with Carlos Rodon showing good signs in the bullpen, the predictions might just hold true.