With $324 million comes far more than just an arm containing deadly accuracy. New York Yankees‘ new pitcher Gerrit Cole’s abilities extend far beyond his dominance on the mound — they find themselves entrenched in the film room and in the competitive spirit he brings to work each and every day.
Cole’s mentality is a bit different than the average pitcher, though. His ability to innovate and expand on his already existing talents make him one of the best pitchers in baseball. At the end of the day, his teammates benefit from his progressive mentality and desire to improve.
Just as Justin Verlander and Zach Greinke enjoyed Cole’s creativity and competitive nature, Luis Severino, James Paxton, and Masahiro Tanaka will all benefit from his eye for the greater things. Practicing new pitches, obsessing over spin-rate, innovating with pitching coach, Matt Blake, the internal pressure of being the best will bleed through Cole’s teammates, and that’s a fantastic thing.
The New York Yankees are building a winning culture, not just adding the right pieces:
Culture is just as influential as individual talents since success is brewed off the field. The comradery between teammates and the desire to help one another grow and thrive is what breads a winning atmosphere. It all ultimately translates on the field, which is why we often see teams with ample talent fail. Cole, how recorded career highs in strikeouts (326) and ERA (2.50) in 2019, will bring elite talent to the Yankees’ rotation, where they already had quality players firmly planted.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner mentioned before the start of the offseason that he would be satisfied with the starting rotation if it remained the same going into next season. The return of Severino and Jordan Montgomery offers plenty of optimism, and that’s before Cole was ever in the picture. Adding arguably the best pitcher in baseball will only increase the competitive nature of the professionals already on the roster, which is all we can hope for.