By Paul Semendinger
As a part of Start Spreading the News’ top 10 list of “players we are most excited to see what they do” in 2020, let’s take a quick look at Gerrit Cole.
Four starts into his first season in pinstripes, Gerrit Cole has been everything the Yankees have wanted and needed from him.
In his four starts this year, the Yankees are 4-0.
Cole’s numbers look excellent:
0.94 WHIP
3.22 ERA
26 strikeouts in 22.1 innings
A 3-0 record (Cole didn’t get the win in his last start – a game the Yankees did win)
Except for one…
5.52
5.52 represents the average length of Gerrit Cole’s starts this year. His starts have been as follows:
5 innings vs Washington (July 23) – Rain Shortened Game
6.2 innings vs Baltimore (July 29)
6 innings vs Philadelphia (August 3)
4.2 innings vs Tampa Bay (August 8)
In two of those starts, vs Baltimore and Tampa Bay, when Cole lost it, he lost it quickly. Thus far in 2020, Gerrit Cole has allowed 8 earned runs. 4 of those runs have come in his last inning of work. This is something that manager Aaron Boone must keep an eye on – not because it’s going to be a problem, but because it might signify that Cole is working too hard earlier in the games.
Or maybe, I’m just looking for something to be concerned about because that’s what we sometimes do as Yankees fans…
Gerrit Cole has been the ace. He will only get stronger. He has been the only constant in the Yankees’ rotation so far this year.
For the Yankees to reach the playoffs (or does every team make the playoffs this year) and go far in them, they’ll need Gerrit Cole to be everything he has been and more. He will be.
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