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Bronx Aces: Bishop’s First Yankees Rotation Sets the Tone on Opening Day

By the time the sun rose over the Bronx on Opening Day, one thing was already clear about the PJ Bishop era: this team is going to live and die with its starting pitching.

From the moment Bishop took over as GM/Manager, he preached a simple philosophy—build the empire from the mound out. High stuff, strong movement, solid control. That’s the template. And as the Yankees break camp and line up for the 2025 season, the five arms entrusted with setting that identity are officially in place:

Max Fried – LHP

Carlos Rodón – LHP

Will Warren – RHP

Carlos Carrasco – RHP

Marcus Stroman – RHP

It’s a blend of established stars, battle-tested veterans, and a homegrown arm ready for his shot. It’s also very much a PJ Bishop rotation: different looks, different strengths, but the same mandate—attack, compete, and give this lineup a chance to win every night.

No. 1: Max Fried – The Calm at the Top

The new face of the staff is a familiar one to baseball fans. Fresh off signing in free agency, Max Fried takes the ball as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter and immediate tone-setter.

Fried brings the exact profile Bishop loves:

Polished stuff with a deep pitch mix.

Excellent movement, keeping the ball off barrels and in the yard.

Reliable command, capable of pitching deep into games without the walk-induced meltdowns that drive managers crazy.

An extreme groundball tendency, plus a premium defense behind him, makes Fried the perfect ace for a club that wants to turn hard contact into quick outs. In a division filled with power bats, having a lefty who can both neutralize right-handers and control the running game is a luxury.

“This is a guy who knows how to navigate lineups, not just overpower them,” Bishop said. “He fits exactly what we want this staff to be.”

No. 2: Carlos Rodón – The Power Punch

If Fried is the surgeon, Carlos Rodón is the sledgehammer.

Slotted as the No. 2, Rodón gives the Yankees a very different but equally dangerous look on the day after Fried. His fastball lives in the mid-to-upper 90s, and the slider still has that wipeout, two-strike bite that has terrorized lefties and righties alike.

Rodón’s profile is pure power pitcher—high velocity, big strikeout totals, and the ability to change a game with a single pitch when he needs a punchout. He doesn’t generate the same groundball rates as Fried, but Bishop is willing to live with the extra fly balls when the stuff is this electric.

Back-to-back lefties at the top of the rotation also create matchup headaches for opponents trying to set their lineups for a series in the Bronx. Stack righties to deal with Fried’s repertoire, and you’re still staring at Rodón’s power fastball/slider combo less than 24 hours later.

No. 3: Will Warren – The Homegrown Wild Card

If there’s a symbol of Bishop’s “draft and develop” mantra in this rotation, it’s Will Warren.

Once a promising minor-league arm, Warren now steps into the No. 3 role with the chance to prove he belongs as a long-term piece. His ratings show a balanced skill set—solid stuff, good movement, and dependable control. The fastball sits in the mid-90s, complemented by a full mix of secondary pitches that keep hitters honest.

What makes Warren particularly intriguing to the Yankees isn’t just his arsenal; it’s his personality profile. He’s seen as a leader, the type of competitor who doesn’t shy away from big spots and can set a tone in the clubhouse as well as on the mound.

For Bishop, it’s the ideal test case: Can a homegrown, well-rounded arm, molded inside the organization’s revamped development system, slide in behind two established stars and thrive?

“We’re not asking Will to be perfect,” Bishop said. “We’re asking him to compete like a Yankee every fifth day. His makeup tells us he’s ready for that.”

No. 4: Carlos Carrasco – The Veteran Stabilizer

Championship teams need more than just top-end talent; they need stability. Enter Carlos Carrasco.

At 37, Carrasco has seen just about everything a major league mound can throw at a pitcher. His ratings don’t scream ace—average-to-solid stuff and movement with steady control—but they do scream reliability. He knows how to mix pitches, change speeds, and manage a lineup the third time through.

For a club aiming for 162 games of contention, Carrasco is the kind of arm who keeps losing streaks from snowballing and eats innings when the bullpen is worn down. On days when his slider is working and the command is sharp, he’s more than capable of looking like the pitcher who logged quality seasons in Cleveland and New York earlier in his career.

“Cookie understands how to pitch, not just throw,” Bishop said. “When you’re chasing October, those guys matter a lot more than people realize.”

No. 5: Marcus Stroman – The Competitive Edge

Rounding out the rotation is Marcus Stroman, the undersized righty with a gigantic presence.

Stroman’s ratings highlight what he’s been throughout his career:

Elite competitiveness and leadership in the clubhouse.

Strong movement and control that allow him to live in and around the zone.

A pitch mix designed to induce weak contact and keep the ball on the ground.

Bishop isn’t asking Stroman to be the staff ace; he’s asking him to be the heartbeat of the back end, setting a relentless tone every fifth day. Stroman’s ability to work out of jams, control the running game, and go deep into games when he’s in rhythm makes him the ideal No. 5 for a contender.

“Marcus never gives less than 100 percent,” Bishop said. “You feel that when he pitches. That’s the kind of energy we want all season.”

Five Arms, One Identity

Put it all together, and Bishop’s first Yankees rotation checks every box he laid out when he took over:

High-end stuff and movement at the top (Fried, Rodón).

A developing, controllable arm with leadership traits in the middle (Warren).

Veteran stability and competitive fire anchoring the back (Carrasco, Stroman).

It’s not just a collection of names; it’s a carefully built staff designed to attack October-style lineups from Day 1 of the regular season.

In the Bronx, expectations never start low. But as Opening Day dawns and Max Fried takes his warmup tosses on the Yankee Stadium mound, there’s a sense that this rotation is more than just five starters—it’s the foundation of the new era PJ Bishop promised.

The empire, at least on paper, has its frontline. Now it’s time to see if these five can turn potential into parade routes down the Canyon of Heroes.