It’s safe to say the first World Series start for former Holly Springs High School and NC State standout pitcher Carlos Rodón could have gone much better.
As the Yankees’ starter in their 4-2 Game 2 defeat to the Dodgers on Saturday, Rodón gave up three home runs between the second and third innings. The most crucial ones were the back-to-back homers to Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman that led to a 4-1 deficit in the bottom of the third inning and eventually, a 2-0 hole in the series.
“Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t my best,” Rodón told reporters after the loss. “They got to some fastballs up in the zone, and they put some good at-bats together.”
“I could’ve been better with some off-speeds. I missed a lot on some curveballs and some sliders that were just up and out of the zone.”
As big as Rodón’s role in the outcome of the series could possibly be, he’s not the only player with ties to North Carolina that can leave a lasting impact on this iconic matchup between New York and Los Angeles.
His teammate, five-time All-Star, 2017 NL MVP, the most recent ALCS MVP and former Greensboro Grasshopper Giancarlo Stanton would like a word.
Stanton, playing in his first Fall Classic, is looking to add a World Series title to his already impressive resume. In Game 1, he broke the ice for the Yankees with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning which gave them a 2-1 lead. His first World Series home run also put him in the history books as Stanton became the first player in postseason history with multiple streaks of homering in four straight games, and he became the third player alongside Corey Seager and Nelson Cruz to hit at least six home runs in multiple postseasons.
As a grasshopper in 2008, Stanton recorded his minor-league-high 39 home runs, a .293 batting average and a .993 OPS in 125 games. During the 2024 regular season, Stanton achieved a .233 batting average, 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 417 at-bats.
However, Dodgers’ reliever Evan Phillips, the former Clayton High School pitcher who played at UNC-Wilmington and made stops with the Carolina Mudcats and the Durham Bulls, will unfortunately make an impact on the series with his absence.
Phillips was left off Los Angeles’ World Series roster ahead of Game 1 after suffering an arm injury in Game 6 of the NLCS. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said his injury “wasn’t rebounding the way he was hoping,” which is a significant blow to their bullpen as Phillips didn’t allow a run in the 6 2/3 innings pitched across five games this postseason.
“Obviously, losing Evan, not having Evan available for this series certainly is disappointing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got to make sure we protect him, short term and long term.”
Nevertheless, the Dodgers’ World Series bullpen is still filled with former North Carolina minor leaguers and college players including Anthony Banda (Durham), Daniel Hudson (Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Kannapolis), Brent Honeywell (Durham and Charlotte), Michael Kopech (Charlotte) and Ben Casparius (UNC). Kopech and Banda both pitched for a short time in Games 1 and 2.
The Dodgers also have former Mudcat Miguel Rojas back at shortstop as he returns from missing the NCLS due to injury and makes his first World Series appearance. He replaced Kevin Kiermaier who made multiple stops with the Bulls from 2012-2018. Austin Barnes, another former Grasshopper in 2012, is listed as a catcher on Los Angeles’ roster.
Outside of Stanton and Rodón, the Yankees have two-time Gold Glove winner and former Carolina Mudcat Trent Grisham available for the outfield. Grisham joined the Yankees this season after spending the past four seasons with the San Diego Padres. He recorded a .190 batting average, nine home runs and 31 RBIs during the 2024 regular season.
As a Mudcat in 2017, Grisham knocked in 45 RBIs and stole 38 bases, the most he’s recorded in any major or minor league season.
Former Duke pitcher Marcus Stroman and former Knight Tommy Kahnle are also in the bullpen for New York. Stroman was Duke baseball’s first-ever first round pick in program history in 2012 and also joined the Yankees in 2024.
Kahnle made a short appearance in Game 1, allowing a hit and a run in the Yankees’ loss. He recorded a 3.00 ERA, 36 strikeouts and allowed zero home runs in 23 games with Charlotte in 2016.
