Why Gerrit Cole Is the Pivot for Yankees Pitching [Opinion]
May 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, center, on the field after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
May 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, center, on the field after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Gerrit Cole silenced concerns about his lengthy absence with a surgical performance in his return to the Yankees rotation. After 569 days away from the major league mound, the 2023 Cy Young winner delivered six shutout innings against the Rays.
Cole had not pitched in a major league game since Game 5 of the World Series on October, 2024. His presence provides a much-needed veteran anchor for a New York rotation currently missing Max Fried.
Cole gave up just two hits, three walks, while striking out two batters, and needed only 72 pitches to complete six shutout innings against the Rays on his debut.
Then came his second start, and it was even better. Against the Royals, Cole went 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked none, struck out 10 batters, and needed only 79 pitches to do so.
Baseball: World Series New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2024. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0003640440P
Baseball: World Series New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2024. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0003640440P
It was his 28th double-digit strikeout game as a Yankee, and notably, his second since winning the AL CY Young title back in 2023.
“I feel like maybe the first game was the appetizer, and that was the main course right there," Manager Aaron Boone told the media after the game.
"That was surgical. You saw everything, like, good fastball, both breaking balls going, mixed in the cutter a little bit, made some really good change-ups along the way,” he added.
He perfectly complements young arms like Will Warren, Schlittler, who has impressed with a good 1.50 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over 72.0 innings so far, and reliable depth arms like Ryan Weathers.
What Gerrit Cole said about his return
Despite having an ERA of 0.00 through 12 2/3 innings, Cole isn't patting himself on the back.
“I think it’s coming along,” Cole said. “There’s still stuff to work on in general. We moved the ball around the strike zone well tonight. Maybe we didn’t get through the fastballs as well as we could have. But with what we had tonight, I thought we used it well.”
Cole needed a little help from Captain Aaron Judge to keep his line clean against the Royals.
In the third inning, after Michael Massey hit a double and Maikel Garcia singled to right field, Judge unleashed a perfect throw to home plate to out Massey and end the scoring threat.
“Aaron made a great play,” Cole said. “The mood in the dugout was, ‘OK, we’ve got to have a little urgency.’ That was just a big tone-setting play for us.”
After that, Cole completely settled down and ended in the seventh inning after just 79 pitches, with Boone relieving him by Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval.
“Didn’t want to push it,” Boone said. “We were fresh in the bullpen, and I felt like they could bring it home.”
And they did as the Yankees won 7-0, sweeping the Royals to close out the series.
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Written by
Md Saife Fida
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi