Is Gerrit Cole Overrated? (3 Reasons He Is Not)

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is one of the league’s most dominant pitchers.

During his time in the MLB, he has consistently posted All-Star caliber numbers, solidifying his position as one of the premier starters.

Then, he joined the Houston Astros in 2018 and emerged as a Cy Young candidate.

In two seasons with the Astros, Cole posted ERAs well below three and finished in the top-five of Cy Young voting each year.

This made him a lucrative free agent, which the Yankees were quick to jump on when they inked him to a nine-year, $324 million contract.

He has continued his dominance in New York, holding a 2.56 ERA in 15 games stated.

Gerrit Cole strikes out three straight Jays to strand two in the second! pic.twitter.com/18tzXT2PEV

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 12, 2021

All of this, and more, highlights how Cole is deserving of the title as one of the league’s best starting pitchers.

Here are three reasons he is not overrated.

1. Statistically Dominant

Since 2018, Cole has statistically been one of the best pitchers in the entire MLB.

Besides Jacob DeGrom, he arguably has been the best in this time, consistently posting ERAs below three and winning games.

When Cole steps on the mound, there is a very good chance that he is going to win.

The numbers that he has put up so far supports that, and they are hard to argue with.

In his nine-year career, Cole is 103-55 with a 3.17 ERA and 1,459 strikeouts.

If he continues on this pace, his numbers can set him up for a chance at Cooperstown.

2. The Stuff

There are many MLB pitchers who have good stuff.

Many others are able to locate and put the ball where they want.

Cole has the ability to do both, with multiple plus pitches.

He features a dominant upper-90s fastball that bears down on the hitter, exploding out of his hand and giving a higher-perceived velocity.

It also has pure two-seam movement that makes it seem impossible to hit at times.

Gerrit Cole, Filthy 2 Pitch Sequence 89mph Slider (sword) and 98mph Fastball. pic.twitter.com/cGn2ouU5zW

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2021

He then pairs this with a slider-curveball combo that buckles even the best hitters.

Finally, he also features a solid changeup that is there whenever he needs it.

All of this builds an impressive repertoire at is among the best in the entire league, making him an uncomfortable matchup for any batter that stands at the plate.

3. He’s Getting Better

While 2020 was an extremely small sample size, it seems as though Cole may be improving.

He struggled over his first handful of starts but began putting it together midway through the 60-game season.

100 career #postseason Ks for Gerrit Cole. 🔥

(MLB x @HankookTireUSA) pic.twitter.com/L8670Lhosc

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2020

This allowed him to finish with a 2.84 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings.

In the young 2021 season, Cole has continued his dominance with a 1.47 ERA in 18.1 innings.

He also has a staggering 277 ERA+, which is 92 points higher than when he led the league in 2019 with 185.

If he continues following the trend that he set while in Houston, there is little telling what the ceiling is for Cole.

He led the league in ERA and strikeouts in 2019: he has the potential to once again do the same.

There is no doubt that Cole is one of the best arms of this generation, and he continues to prove it every time he steps onto the mound.