Yariel Rodríguez makes MLB debut in Blue Jays’ win

TORONTO — It feels like an entrance into WWE. Oh my God, that’s Ariel’s music!

Yariel Rodríguez emerges from the Blue Jays dugout, leaps across the turf in four sideways sprints, spits water in the air and heads for the mound. If this were the main event, Rodriguez would be frozen on top of the mound, staring into his eyes as the camera zooms in and the crowd chants get louder. His eyes tell you everything.

There was a feel to Rodriguez’s major league debut, an energy, an intensity that vibrated from the glacier blue. The Cuban right-hander was the first Cuban to start for the organization, striking out six in 3 2/3 innings to help the Rockies win 5-3, holding the Rockies to one run. The dominant win showed off the pitcher’s brilliance.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” Rodriguez said through a club interpreter. “A lot of sacrifices were made, a lot of hard work was put in. It was very, very emotional.

From the first note, there’s spice. Rodriguez hesitated on the pitch and used his arm angle to hit the ball, doing whatever he could to keep the batter off balance. That may have helped him get rid of some sliders hanging over center of the plate, but when Rodriguez found that pitch, it looked completely dominant.

One of his best performances ended the first inning, slamming Ryan McMahon. As he swung across the mound, Rodriguez reappeared, jumping back to the mound the way he came, pounding his chest and pumping his fists. Rodriguez doesn’t just look in the mirror, either.

When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. caught a harmless fly ball to end the second inning, Rodríguez was just a few feet away, celebrating in the same manner as his teammates.

“We really couldn’t ask for more,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s electric. His slider is great, a lot of swing and miss. His heater is great. He keeps his cool. That’s a beautiful one [darn] Great major league debut.

There are a thousand different ways to make a baseball team. The next great Blue Jays team doesn’t need to match the personality of those 2015-16 clubs who were capable of winning a bar fight and a ballgame, but that’s what made the country fall in love with them. They are a team that the rest of the league loves to hate, in the most praiseworthy of ways, and here are some of them.

Rodriguez’s game is dynamic and intoxicating. It tastes more like whiskey than chamomile tea. There is an advantage to all this.

“He’s not afraid,” Schneider said before the game. This is a good thing. He does a lot of things very well. He controls the run game, he takes care of his position, he’s everything you look for in a pitcher. He has a great presence. I like. “

When Rodriguez walked out of the Blue Jays clubhouse after the game, the music still rattling the walls behind him, all the emotions were on display in the form of excitement. Not only did Rodriguez reach the stage he had been chasing all his life, he landed on it. He made a first impression.

Emotions aside, Rodriguez once again got excited when asked what he liked about his pitching.

“Everything. Everything,” Rodriguez said. “My first appearance, from the first game, I tried to give my best. The adrenaline was very high, but everything was good. Everything. It was very emotional.

The days ahead will be less cause for celebration. Rodriguez will adjust to his status, and his role may take on a few different shapes over time, with major league ups and downs sure to come.

Saturday’s performance doesn’t change the Blue Jays’ view of Rodriguez — they’re confident enough to sign him — but it adds some reality to it all. It’s an important moment for a 26-year-old who has gone the way of Rodriguez and doesn’t have a career pitch in 2023.

Now all he has to do is perform again and again. Thankfully for Rodriguez, they tend to keep bringing back crowd favorites.