The New York Yankees get great news on their pitching matchups for this week, as Gerrit Cole will end up making the start on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles. Manager Aaron Boone told Talkin’ Yanks this afternoon that the reigning AL Cy Young winner will make the start on Wednesday as the Yankees take on the Orioles in one of the biggest series they’ve played all season. Last year, Cole was the best pitcher in all of baseball, making 32 starts with a 2.63 ERA, and he will make his season debut against the fiercest competitor to the Yankees in the American League.
With Baltimore hot on the Yankees’ tail, Gerrit Cole will have a chance to deliver a huge start in a big spot for the Bronx Bombers.
Gerrit Cole to Make Season Debut With Yankees on Wednesday
When the Yankees found out that Gerrit Cole was dealing with elbow pain in Spring Training, the worst thoughts came to mind for everyone surrounding the organization. The scary thought of not having the best pitcher in baseball was something that could have completely derailed the season, and while it came out that he didn’t have a UCL tear, they would have to find a way to patch starts together without their safest bet.
The Yankees have led baseball in ERA (3.05) and a huge part of that has been the rise of Luis Gil, who has led the American League in ERA in the absence of their ace. With the Yankees having Gil lined up for the Thursday game, both of their best starters will go in this crucial series against the Baltimore Orioles. While the Yankees have the best record in baseball, they’re tied in the loss column with Baltimore entering this series as they thrashed the Philadelphia Phillies this past weekend.
Across three Minor League starts Gerrit Cole has struck out 19 batters across 12.1 innings, not walking a single batter and allowing just one run on a solo blast in his second rehab outing. The Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball already, and having Gerrit Cole back only further strengthens their roster. It would be the obvious choice to have Cody Poteet come out of the rotation, as he was supposed to be a spot starter while Clarke Schmidt was hurt.
Baseball’s best team this season gets the best pitcher in baseball back, and the Yankees have a chance to get even scarier ahead of their biggest series of 2024 up to this point. They hold a 1.5-game lead in the American League East, and they can either expand it or lose it based on how they hang with one of the best teams in the league.