TRUJILLO ALTO, Puerto Rico – The bond between a grandchild and his or her grandfather can shape an entire life. For budding Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodriguez, that bond came with an unexpected twist: the man who taught him everything about baseball was a die-hard Red Sox fan.
Rodríguez, 22, spent his formative years on his family’s chicken farm in the Puerto Rican countryside. His grandfather became his guide in the sport. The old man had a corpulence that recalled David Ortiz. Rodríguez called him Big Papi.
“Big Papi was also his favorite player,” Rodríguez said in a recent interview with NJ Advance Media. “My grandfather had the same big belly.”
A storm that changed everything
Rodríguez was 14 years old when Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017. The Category 4 storm became the deadliest to hit Puerto Rico since 1899. Government studies later estimated 2,975 deaths islandwide.
His hometown, Trujillo Alto, is near San Juan. In a neighboring suburb called Guaynabo, where Rodríguez attended the Christian Leadership Academy, more than 2,800 homes were destroyed.
The Rodriguez family and their chicken farm survived. But life changed radically for the aspiring pitcher.
“The whole country was greatly affected,” Rodríguez said. “For a month, we didn’t have school because it was literally just being cleaned. There were downed electricity poles everywhere. We were without electricity for eight months because first they started fixing the poles in the cities and it took a long time for the workers to get to the countryside, where our farm is.»
He described those months without electricity as exhausting. A teenager used to sleeping with air conditioning had to adapt to sweltering nights.
“We had to work through it,” he said. «It was a hard moment, but we got through it. We did not suffer any damage and no one was injured. “I’m grateful for that.”
From receiver to flamethrower
Rodríguez began his baseball career behind the plate. His first position was receiver. But coaches soon realized his arm strength.
“From the beginning, I always threw hard, so throwing was always one of my positions,” Rodriguez said. «Throwing hard always benefited me. From a very young age, it was difficult for boys to hit me.
He spent countless hours in the backyard with his older brother Victor. The two played ball for hours. Rodríguez is a right-handed hitter by nature, but he switched to hitting left-handed because Víctor hit left-handed.
Victor was a promising player until a torn meniscus in high school ended his baseball dreams. He focused on studies. Elmer carried forward the family’s baseball hopes.
Recruited by the enemy
Rodríguez grew up idolizing Alex Rodríguez. The connection with his namesake attracted him to the Yankees. There were pinstripes in his childhood room.
But when the 2021 MLB Draft arrived, Boston heeded his call. The Red Sox selected him in the fourth round, 105th overall.
The young Yankees fan had to wear the colors of his team’s biggest rival. His grandfather was delighted.
“It was difficult for me,” Rodríguez admitted. “I was a Yankees fan, but I had a couple of family members who were big Boston fans, so we always had that rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox.”
His grandfather never saw him pitch professionally for Boston. He passed away before Rodríguez could advance through the minor leagues. But the old man witnessed the draft day that fulfilled his wish.
“My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago, but he was able to see me signed by Boston,” Rodríguez said. «That’s what he wanted. When I was little, he always said he wanted to see me play in Boston. I ended up being drafted by the Red Sox at number 105, and the number on my grandfather’s grave is 105.” “Seeing that was a full circle moment for me.”
The trade that surprised you
Rodriguez spent three seasons in Boston’s farm system. His development was steady, but he remained relatively unknown outside of budding player circles.
Then came December 2024. The Winter Meetings were underway. Boston made a big deal to acquire ace left-hander Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. The same day, the Red Sox sent Rodríguez to the Yankees in exchange for catcher Carlos Narváez and $250,000 in international signing reserves.
Rodríguez’s phone had lost coverage that day. He spent hours in the dark about his future.
“It came out of nowhere,” he said. «That whole day was a roller coaster. “I lost phone service, so I couldn’t receive messages or calls.”
When his phone finally worked again, he saw trade rumors on Twitter. Boston and Seattle appeared to be on the verge of reaching an agreement. Then a Massachusetts number appeared on his screen.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I just got traded to Seattle!’ remembers Rodríguez. «I answered the phone and it was the Red Sox. They told me: ‘We have made a transfer and you are part of it.’ When I heard Yankees, I was shocked. From the Red Sox to the Yankees. “You don’t see exchanges like that often because they are rivals.”
An exceptional pinstripe season
The exchange has worked for both clubs. Narváez became one of the best defensive catchers in baseball during his rookie season with Boston. He led the major leagues with 32 steals of runners and was considered a Gold Glove. He hit .241 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games before undergoing knee surgery in October.
Rodríguez, for his part, dominated in the Yankees system. He posted a 2.58 ERA at three levels: High-A Hudson Valley, Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. His 178 strikeouts in 150 innings ranked second in all of minor league baseball.
Baseball America now ranks him No. 2 on the Yankees, behind shortstop George Lombard Jr. MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 97 on its top 100 list.
An American League scout who follows the Yankees organization shared his assessment.
“I think he can be a solid No. 4 in the big leagues,” the evaluator said. «When I watched Rodríguez, he threw a lot of strikes and all the pitches were inside the zone. He threw a two-seam fastball that had some fall and tail. He was between 93 and 96, with a 94 pitch, which was pretty good. His slider was slightly above average.”
The scout added: “I know the Yankees gave up a good catcher, but in the long run they could win this trade because it’s very difficult to find starting pitchers, and Rodriguez could be a pretty good one.”
Get stronger with chicken and protein
Rodríguez came to professional baseball as a lanky teenager, 6 feet 3 inches and 180 pounds. Boston’s development staff made weight gain a priority. More mass would translate into more speed.
“When I arrived, I only weighed 160 pounds,” Rodríguez explained. «When I got fat, they didn’t make me pitch many innings. In 2024, once I got up to 180, my speed went up almost 3 mph. Then last year, after going to the Yankees, I went up to about 185 and the velocity went up more.
Growing up on a chicken farm made it easier for him to access protein. He leaned on that advantage.
“I’ve been eating a lot of chicken!” he said, laughing. «I’ve also been drinking a lot of protein shakes. I’ve also been lifting weights. “I’ve followed that plan all along and I’m going to stick with it because I want to add more weight.”
Eyes on the Bronx
The Yankees have a lot of money invested in their rotation. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon represent more than $700 million in guaranteed contracts. Luis Gil, Cam Schlitter and Will Warren provide additional depth. Clarke Schmidt is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Rodríguez is aware of the competition that awaits him. He refuses to let it intimidate him.
“I know the Yankees have a lot of great pitchers,” he said. «Hopefully one day I can be part of that rotation. I’m going to work hard to try to get there and help the Yankees bring home a championship. “That is the goal of every player: to win a championship.”
His 2025 season proved he belongs in the conversation. He exceeded all the personal goals he set for himself.
“I approached every outing trying to be the best version of myself and I think I exceeded most of my goals,” Rodríguez said. «I wanted to reach 100 entries because I had never done it, and I reached 150. I had some successes. “I think it’s been a great year for me.”
He finished 2025 with a start in Triple-A. The Major Leagues seem to be within reach.
“That’s what I have in mind for next season,” Rodriguez said. «I want to reach the big leagues, make my debut. “I want to make more innings and reach the big leagues.”
His grandfather would have appreciated the irony. The boy who grew up with Red Sox baseball now wears stripes. Big Papi may have complained about the result. But he would have been proud of the trip.
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