For the New York Yankees, having a pitcher like Gerrit Cole represents a huge competitive advantage.
He is a workhorse, he is consistently good, and he can strike out hitters like few other pitchers in baseball.
It is not a coincidence that he is the heavy favorite to win his first career Cy Young award.
Every time he gets on the mound, the Yankees have great odds of coming away with the victory.
In fact, the numbers back that up.
“The Yankees have won 21 of Gerrit Cole’s 31 starts this season. They’re 11 games under .500 (55-66) in all other games,” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted.
The Yankees have won 21 of Gerrit Cole’s 31 starts this season. They're 11 games under .500 (55-66) in all other games.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) September 22, 2023
When Cole has taken the ball, the Yankees are 21-10.
When it’s any other pitcher on the mound, they are 55-66.
Unfortunately for the Yanks, the rotation can’t have five Gerrit Coles.
They would probably go to the World Series every year if that was the case.
On Thursday, Cole all but locked up the Cy Young with a brilliant performance against the Toronto Blue Jays.
He pitched eight innings with just two hits and one run allowed.
He didn’t walk any hitters and struck out nine against a quality lineup.
The Yankees are not going to the postseason, but having Cole still under contract for a long time has to be refreshing.
The guy has an impressive 2.75 ERA in exactly 200 innings in the American League, against some of the most imposing lineups in baseball.
He also has a 1.02 WHIP and 217 strikeouts.
He will probably get at least one more start before the end of the season to seal the deal, but it’s almost official now: Cole is in pole position to finally win his first Cy Young.
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