Gerrit Cole doesn't seem to have missed a beat since his return from Tommy John surgery.
The Yankee ace fired 6.2 scoreless innings against the Royals on Wednesday night, allowing just four hits and zero walks while striking out 10. Cole's first two starts since his return from his lengthy recovery have both been shutouts, marking the first time in his decorated career that Cole has begun a season with two straight scoreless outings, according to Stathead's Katie Sharp.
Sharp also noted that Cole is the first pitcher in Yankee history to begin their season with no runs allowed in at least 12 innings of work while striking out 12 or more batters. Simply put, any concerns about rust or Cole needing time to get back to his vintage self have been quickly silenced.
Cole didn't allow a run in six innings of work in his season debut against the Rays on Friday, and his immaculate command carried into his start in Wednesday's series finale. The 2023 Cy Young winner, sporting his new over-the-head windup, generated a whiff rate of 35 percent while hitting the high 90s with his fastball. Not to mention his brilliant outing came just 24 hours after Cam Schlittler twirled a beauty of his own to remain the early-season favorite for the AL Cy Young winner.
With Cole back and already looking like his vintage self, the Yankee rotation looks flat-out lethal. Once Max Fried returns, the Yanks will boast a star-studded trio atop the rotation that would figure to give any opposing lineup fits in a short playoff series, not to mention the arms behind them like Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have looked plenty good themselves. Even Carlos Rodon, who is working his way back to form following offseason surgery, has a track record of being a very strong regular season pitcher over the past two seasons, and a pitcher of his caliber as the fourth arm in a playoff rotation would be an embarrassment of riches for Aaron Boone.
As for Cole, he is giving Boone and the Yankees everything they could have hoped for, and then some, since his extended time on the shelf.
Even the most optimistic fan could not have expected this version of Cole this quickly.
Even the most optimistic fan could not have expected this version of Cole this quickly.
