Yankees’ Gerrit Cole looked sharp in Hudson Valley Renegades’ 10-2 win

Gerrit Cole completed his second rehab start of the season for the Yankees as the right-hander completed 4.1 IP with four strikeouts and no walks for the Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Yankees’ High-A affiliate dominated in the matchup, scoring 10 runs in what was an important victory for the team as they have playoff aspirations for the 2026 campaign.

Cole sat around 94-96 MPH on the stadium gun in this performance, showing off his power fastball at the top of the zone while utilizing various secondary pitches at his disposal.

Getting to the 50-pitch plateau means the next step should be getting to around 60 pitches, and with manager Aaron Boone reiteraing that Carlos Rodon is expected to be back before him, there’s at least three more rehab starts to be had.

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The Yankees’ rotation has been the best in baseball so far, which is why the returns of Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole provide so much excitement for the organization.

Cole is itching to re-join this excellent staff, and the right-hander’s work on Thursday night at Heritage Financial Park was certainly a step towards realizing that goal.

He was very aggressive in-zone, having an 80% Strike% in the outing against the Brooklyn Cyclones as he wanted to get through as many innings as possible.

Cole would allow two runs including a solo home run, but his aforementioned high Strike% would indicate he’s more concerned with facing as many batters as possible, not trying to win each and every inning.

We’ve seen some 97-98 MPH fastballs in condensed outings such as the ones he had against the Red Sox and Cubs during Spring Training, so I wonder if he’s holding back some in these rehab starts for when he returns to the Bronx.

The velocity wasn’t low enough to be worried, all that matters is whether his recovery goes well and if he can make his next start which will likely come in Somerset (Double-A).

By Ryan Garcia

A lifelong baseball fan, Ryan’s passion for the sport and the Yankees has led him to learn about the ... More about Ryan Garcia