Yankees Pitcher on Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: 'Anyone is Pitchable'

Maren Angus-Coombs | 3 Hours Ago

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Yankees left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón is feeling confident entering the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that begins on Friday at Dodger Stadium.

He's especially looking forward to facing Shohei Ohtani.

“He’s a good hitter, but anybody is pitchable,” left-hander Carlos Rodón said on Tuesday. “I’m going to give him his credit: he’s a great hitter, he’s got tremendous power, he sees the ball well. He can drive the ball out of any ballpark. He can probably hit it out of any stadium – like, out of the stadium, not just over the fence.”

The Yankees went up against Shohei Ohtani in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in June, a matchup that had the intensity of a potential postseason preview. Without Juan Soto, who was sidelined due to left forearm inflammation, the Yankees lost two of the three games.

However, the Yankees' pitching staff managed to keep Shohei Ohtani in check, limiting him to just 2-for-13 at the plate with four runs scored, one RBI, and a walk over the series.

“It’s going to be fun,” Rodón said. “It’s a treat. You get to this point, those are the kinds of guys you want to face.”

The other guy Rodón is talking about is Aaron Judge. This is the first World Series since 1956 to feature the home run leaders from both leagues.

However, Judge is among those who are fans of Ohtani.

Read more: Aaron Judge Concedes Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is MLB's Best Player

“We’ve had our battles throughout the regular season over the years when he was with the Angels, seeing him hit homers over my head,” Judge said on Tuesday. “But getting a chance to play on the biggest stage and in the biggest moment, I think that’s going to be pretty cool to watch.”

The fans will also play a huge role in this series.

During that June series, the Yankees couldn't help but notice the electric atmosphere, and it wasn’t just inside the stadium. The fan group Pantone 294, complete with an NYPD escort, marched through the streets outside Yankee Stadium, making it clear this wasn’t going to be just another regular weekend.

That same Dodgers fan group is already preparing for its return for Games 3, 4 and 5.

“I talk every now and then about fun series in the course of the regular season,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Going to London, Field of Dreams. We’ve been to L.A. a couple of times since I’ve been here in the regular season; those were always really cool series, and the same rang true here in the Bronx.”