New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon had his way with the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, setting a modern postseason record in the process.

Rodon allowed just one run in six innings, putting the Yankees in position to win the first game of the best-of-seven series. They led 4-1 when the veteran left-hander was removed after the sixth inning.

Rodon also struck out nine batters while recording 25 swings and misses – a record in the MLB pitch-tracking era (since 2008).

Yankees teammate Gerrit Cole set the previous record of 23 whiffs in the 2020 American League Wild Card series against the Cleveland Guardians. Cole struckout 13 batters in seven innings in Game 1 of the best-of-three series, which the Yankees won 12-3.

The 31-year-old Rodon had 12 swings and misses on Monday with his four-seam fastball, controlling the pitch and changing speeds with impeccable precision. He threw the pitch 52 times – just 13 for balls, the rest for strikes.

Rodon also had nine hits and misses with his slider, three with his changeup and one with his cutter. It was a masterclass in pitching from the veteran, and it set up the Yankees’ bullpen well for the rest of the series.

Rodon went 16-9 with a 3.96 earned run average in 32 regular season starts for the Yankees. It was a remarkable bounce-back season for the veteran in Year 2 of a six-year, $162 million contract signed in December 2022.

In 2023, Rodon made just 14 starts and went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA. The Yankees missed the postseason altogether. Like Rodon, they rebounded in a big way in 2024, winning the American League East and claiming the No. 1 seed in the league.

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Rodon made one start against the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card round. It didn’t go well. He allowed four runs in 3.2 innings as the Yankees suffered their only loss in the best-of-five series.

Given the new life in the ALCS, Rodon made the most of his opportunity.

Starting pitching was seen as a key advantage for New York in the series. Cole will start Game 2 on Tuesday. Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil will start games three and four, respectively, on Thursday and Friday in Cleveland. They are all capable of pitching effectively deep into a game.

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No American League team got fewer quality starts than the Guardians this season, and no team got fewer starts (five) of 100 pitches or more.

That advantage was on full display in Game 1 when Guardians starter Alex Cobb allowed three runs in just 2.2 innings.

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