The Yankees pitching has been very reliable for New York this year. With up and down offensive performances, having a strong rotation and bullpen has been very important. They’ve been one of the most dominant pitching groups in baseball. A big reason for that is the presence of Gerrit Cole.
Gerrit Cole has been everything the Yankees could’ve imagined since signing him in 2019. This year specifically, he’s been putting up CY Young numbers. Recently, he’s been shaky. However, a great performance against the Twins on Wednesday put him back on track.Â
It was especially encouraging to see Cole perform well with all the pressure from the media. Twins’ Josh Donaldson outed Cole as a possible foreign substance user. That made this matchup gain nationwide attention. Cole finished pitching six innings with only two runs allowed and punched out nine. Donaldson went 0-3 with two strikeouts against Cole. It was a great response from the Yankees’ ace.
Before the Twins’ dumbfounding comeback win last night, Jameson Taillon made comments regarding Cole and the situation. Taillon and Cole have a great relationship dating back to their days with the Pirates. They’ve become good friends throughout their careers.
Taillon started by saying that if the MLB is actually “taking things seriously,†(regarding illegal substances) then he’s “really excited†about it. He thinks “eliminating†the sticky stuff will help them as a group. Saying that he really wants the MLB to go clean and “level†the playing field.Â
Regarding Gerrit Cole specifically, Taillon stated that “as a friend†it was tough to see. But he was “happy†Cole went out there on Wednesday and had a great start. He said he “doesn’t think sticky stuff is what makes Gerrit Cole, Gerrit Cole.†Taillon said he’s watched Cole throw bullpens and prepare for starts and thinks he will be the same if not better after this. Saying that this “might’ve” lit a fire under Cole.
Throughout the entire press conference, Taillon was very transparent about the situation. He gave some really good insight into the problem as a whole. Taillon seemed very confident that the Yankees would only improve from this being enforced more. It didn’t seem like he thought this would be a problem for any Yankee pitchers.Â
After a very rough ending to a three-game set in Minnesota, the Yankees will travel to Philadelphia. Tune in as Taillon starts things off against the Phillies tomorrow evening!