The Yankees have been patiently waiting for the return of their ace, Gerrit Cole. During spring training, Cole reported pain in his throwing elbow, prompting the Yankees to conduct further testing, which eventually determined he needed a few months of rest before ramping back up.
Cole’s Gradual Improvement and Recent Dominance for the Yankees
Cole took things slow and eventually made his season debut in mid-June. While he experienced some volatile performances leading up to Friday’s gem, the Yankees are starting to see the player they know and love.
This season, the 33-year-old veteran hosts a 4.15 ERA over 52 innings, but that number is quickly dropping to normal levels. He won the Cy Young last season with a 2.63 ERA over 209 innings, but he may not even cross 100 innings in total during the regular season this year. He’s certainly trending toward reaching his expectations for excellence.
Impressive Recent Performances
Over his last two performances combined, Cole tossed 11.1 innings, giving up one earned run and striking out 18 batters. He’s given up 10 hits in that sample but has been excellent with runners on base, enjoying a 92.9% left-on-base rate and an impressive 50% ground ball rate. His 0.79 ERA in that small sample suggests the Yankees have their star back, and he’s in his groove. The team needs these types of performances to continue winning and overcome the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. Baltimore lost on Friday, so the Yankees have a slim one-game lead for first place.
Cole’s Pitching Mechanics and Adjustments
The good news is that Cole’s four-seam fastball is slowly gaining velocity. He averaged 96.7 mph last year and sits at 96 this year, so it has dropped slightly, but he still needs time to build up his arm. Opposing batters are still only hitting .229 against his four-seamer, suggesting it’s incredibly efficient.
However, Cole has had trouble with his cutter, a pitch that he only threw 7% of the time last season but 19% this year, allowing a .371 batting average. His slider is also on the list to improve, which has been far better the past two games but still hosts a .294 batting average.
- Yankees reportedly made a ‘serious’ run at elite closer after 2022
- Yankees’ bullpen acquisition cannot be trusted any longer
- Yankees’ veteran utility man is likely done for the season
Looking Ahead to the Playoffs
The Yankees are seeing phenomenal results from Cole, but there are still a few minor details to tweak ahead of the playoffs, and he will certainly want to be at full capacity when October rolls around.