Former NC State pitching ace Carlos Rodon has swiftly transitioned to the pros since signing his contract in June with the Chicago White Sox. The league’s third overall draft selection received the largest signing bonus of his draft class ($6.58 million), the third highest for a pitcher in MLB draft history.
In his sophomore season at NC State, Rodon set impossibly high standards for himself after leading the Wolfpack to the College World Series in 2013 with 184 strikeouts in 132 1/3 innings.
Before the 2014 season, Rodon was viewed collectively as the No. 1 player in the draft, but the young up-and-comer’s draft stock lowered in the spring due to the combination of a disappointing season for the Pack and a 6-7 record for Rodon, even though his ERA lowered from 2.99 in 2013 to 2.01.
On June 5, Rodon was drafted as the third overall selection by the Chicago White Sox in the MLB draft behind high school pitchers Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek. Rodon has since proven his first-round value through his impressive performances on the mound in his minor league outings.
Following his contract signing, Rodon made two brief appearances in the Arizona rookie league, where he pitched three innings, threw five strikeouts and gave up two runs and four hits. After getting his first taste of professional play, the Holly Springs native flew back to North Carolina to begin his career in Winston-Salem.
Rodon excelled in his four July appearances for the Single-A Winston-Salem Dash, totaling 9.2 innings pitched and 15 strikeouts, while allowing seven hits and two earned runs. In the Dash’s game against the Lynchburg Hillcats, the young phenom fanned seven batters in three and two-thirds innings, and was called up to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights organization shortly after.
In his Charlotte debut on Aug. 19, Rodon held his own when stepping on the hill and partook in his closest experience to pitching against big league hitters. In his three innings facing the Gwinnett Braves’ batting order, Rodon struck out three batters while allowing one run, one hit and three walks out of his 55 pitches in the matchup.
The left-hander shined in his second start on Sunday night against the Norfolk Tide. Rodon threw a professional career-high eight strikeouts in four innings pitched. Rodon struck out five of the last six batters he faced and finished with one earned run and one hit, dishing 47 strikes out of his 73 pitches.
Rodon shocked critics throughout his performance on Sunday and left the White Sox front office grinning ear to ear. The majority of major league experts previously assumed that the 21-year-old would not get called up until the 2015-2016 season, but many now predict that he could join Chicago’s roster as early as September. The MLB’s soon-to-be adjustment from the 25-man roster to 30 players could also help influence a decision to transfer Rodon.
Batters will be left dumbfounded at the plate when subjected to Rodon’s three-pronged pitching arsenal. Rodon’s plus slider made scouts swoon, as it was not hit by a single bat during the former Pack pitcher’s Sunday outing. Rodon has also done a lot of work surrounding his changeup and fastball command, which have both been perfected since last taking the mound for the Pack.
Rodon is expected to throw again for the Knights on Friday in Gwinnett. Rodon’s line after two appearances with the Knights: 7 IP, 2H, 2ER, 5BB, 11Ks — 128 pitches (72 strikes).
