2026 World Baseball Classic: Yankees Pitching Prospect Elmer Rodriguez will play for Puerto Rico

New York Yankees’ pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez is about to embark on a full-circle journey.

Rodriguez was drafted out of Puerto Rico in high school, and he will now pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, Jorge Figueroa Loza of elnuevodia.com reported on Jan. 28.​ 

​“Representing my country in the Classic will be an unforgettable honor and a dream come true, a responsibility I will take on with humility, pride, and the commitment to always give my very best,” Rodriguez said, according to the Puerto Rican Federación de Béisbol’s X account on Jan 30. 

Elmer Rodríguez lanzará con #LosNuestros🇵🇷 en el WBC 2026

“Representar a mi país en el Clásico será un honor inolvidable y un sueño hecho realidad, una responsabilidad que asumiré con humildad, orgullo y el compromiso de dar siempre lo mejor”.#FBPR pic.twitter.com/GyTj5IMEvk

— Federación de Béisbol 🇵🇷 (@BeisbolPR) January 30, 2026

​Rodriguez, 22, was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, and was drafted out of the Leadership Christian Academy in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox in 2021. Rodriguez joined the other side of the American League East rivalry when he was traded to the New York Yankees for catcher Carlos Narvaez on Dec. 11, 2024. 

​Rodriguez started his Yankees’ tenure this past season with High-A Hudson Valley, and finished the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This jump saw him earn recognition with various websites that rank prospects. Rodriguez is the Yankees’ third-ranked prospect and ranks 82nd on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Rankings. 

​World Baseball Network caught up with Rodriguez in Double-A Somerset on Aug. 10, 2025.  

​“I mean, just for me, it’s like part of it being like going out of Puerto Rico, it’s not a big country,” Rodriguez told World Baseball Network. “So, just coming out of there, I want to be an example to those kids. If you put in the work and some dedication and discipline to it, you can always achieve your dreams.” 

“It’s an honor for me to come out of Puerto Rico.” 

Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz was drafted out of High School in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

He talked about representing Puerto Ricans and adjusting to baseball and life in the States.

🎥: @JulianGuilarte1 pic.twitter.com/VB619jEWkH

— World Baseball Network (@WorldBaseball_) August 10, 2025

Rodriguez showed off fastball velocity as high as 99 mph this past season and improved his arsenal across the board. He also throws a slider, curveball, splitter, and changeup. Rodriguez was second in the minors with 176 strikeouts and fifth with 150 innings. His ERA was 2.58, which ranked eighth, along with an opponent batting average of .192. 

“I’m throwing more sweepers and sinkers, and I throw a gyro slider, curveball, fastball, and splitter also,” Cruz told the media in Somerset on Aug. 10. “I’m putting more emphasis on using all of my pitches and trusting all of my stuff in any count.” 

​Rodriguez also expressed how taking care of his body, changing his diet, bulking up, and taking advantage of the Yankees’ training facilities helped him tremendously. He also talked with World Baseball Network in Somerset about adjusting to life and baseball in the U.S. 

​“I mean, it was kind of different when I was back home,” Rodriguez told World Baseball Network. “I used to learn English when I was in school, but coming out here, it’s not the same as being at home, you just speak Spanish.” 

Not only is Rodriguez a vital piece of Puerto Rico’s rotation in the WBC, but he is also knocking on the door of the Yankees’ rotation. His projected MLB debut date is this upcoming season according to MLB Pipeline. 

Puerto Rico is undermanned without Jose Berrios, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Javier Baez, and a few other notable names will not be playing. Berrios could be activated if Puerto Rico advances out of Pool B, which they are hosting at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. 

“At the end of the day, baseball is just baseball, wherever you play, like if it’s there in Puerto Rico or here in the U.S. I just try to do all the fundamentals I was taught back home and just take it out to the field. It was a great experience,” Rodriguez told World Baseball Network. 

Pool B consists of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Panama, and Canada. Rodriguez will be counted on to start at least one of these games. He will need to do his part to help them secure a top-two finish in Pool B and advance to the knockout round of the WBC. He will also be joined by his Yankees teammate, reliever Fernando Cruz on the Puerto Rican pitching staff. 

​Puerto Rico still has high expectations to get out of the group, despite the diminished roster. It would be viewed as a massive failure for Puerto Rican fans if they don’t secure a top-two finish in Pool B. Pool play will begin on March 6, 2025, and run through March 11, 2025. 

​Rodriguez is excited to get the opportunity to pitch in front of family, friends, and fans in Puerto Rico once again. If he throws the ball well, it will only push him closer to the Yankees’ rotation in 2026.  

Photo: Elmer Rodriguez delivers a pitch for the Somerset Patriots. He’ll pitch for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.