FLUSHING, NY — Rather than waiting for their four-game set in the Bronx next week against Toronto, the Yankees are opting to start Elmer Rodríguez Sunday afternoon in Queens to wrap up the first installment of the 2026 Subway Series.
The 22-year-old Puerto Rican rookie right-hander hailing from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico made his MLB debut last month in Texas and then six days later, facing the Rangers once again, took the mound of Yankee Stadium for the very first time.
The Yankees’ decision of Rodríguez taking the ball Sunday at Citi Field vs. the Mets comes after the organization placed left-hander Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow. At the same time, the Yankees also pushed LHP Ryan Weathers’ start back a day to Monday vs. the Blue Jays.
Elmer Rodríguez will get his first taste of the Subway Series Sunday afternoon as the Mets and Yankees wrap up their three-game set at Citi Field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“Just go out there, have fun, and try to compete,” the rookie Rodríguez told Latino Sports Saturday afternoon shortly after the news surfaced. “With the stuff I’ve been working on since my first couple starts, I just got to go out there and trust myself.”
Besides Rodríguez fresh off his second cup of coffee, just two starts into his Major League career, his outing on Sunday will mark yet another career first—his first taste of the Subway Series.
Imagine that. Growing up a Yankees fan in Puerto Rico with Alex Rodríguez as your favorite player watching him produce in pinstripes. Now, it’s Elmer’s time.
“There’s a couple games that come to mind,” he said of his favorite Subway Series memory. “But obviously just being here, you know, enjoy the moment and just hopefully, I can make a moment out of this too.”
Elmer Rodríguez grew up watching Subway Series matchups from afar with a dream of one day being a part of it – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Rodríguez has already had a few “pinch me” moments throughout his first stretch in the show—one being sharing the clubhouse with Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge who continues to post at an unreal rate year on year in the batter’s box.
“It’s always fun having the best player in the world playing on your team,” Rodríguez said of the three-time American League MVP Judge. “It’s fun watching him, you know, go about his work and seeing him hit home runs and all that in the field.”
Earlier this season, Aaron Judge had glowing remarks for Elmer Rodríguez saying “He’s going to be a big piece for us going forward, if it’s a starter, bullpen, whatever. The guy’s got five, six different pitches he can use. He commands the zone well.” – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
A fun matchup to keep an eye on in Sunday’s Subway Series finale is Rodríguez facing off against Mets Dominican superstar Juan Soto, a three-time LatinoMVP Award winner. Not just because of the theatre of New York baseball and the rivalry that goes behind it, but for Rodríguez’s growth in the pros—going up against one of the top players in the game in pressurized spots.
“I’m just gonna go out there and compete, try to bring the best I can,” he said of squaring off with Soto. “Hopefully I could be successful and take it and learn from it and just move forward.”
A fun matchup to zone in on Sunday afternoon in Queens is Yankees rookie Elmer Rodríguez facing Mets superstar Juan Soto – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Moving forward for Rodriguez and all of Puerto Rico, his beloved homeland, with 16 Major Leaguers appearing in the show this season—Javier Báez, Victor Caratini, Willi Castro, Carlos Correa, Fernando Cruz, Edwin Díaz, Jose Espada, Darell Hernaiz, Francisco Lindor, Jovani Morán, Heliot Ramos, Yacksel Ríos, Eduardo Rivera, Elmer Rodríguez, Johnathan Rodríguez and Christian Vázquez.
On being one of 16 players from the island to appear in a MLB game this season, he said “It’s an honor to represent Puerto Rico and being from there. We’ve been trying to, you know, get the island to grow more and have more players here so hopefully that continues and we can see more and more Puerto Rican players here in a couple years.”
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