Gerrit Cole Is Ready To Take the Yankees’ Rotation to the Next Level

Exactly 806 days after his Tommy John procedure, Gerrit Cole returned to a big league mound on May 22.

The moment not only signified the culmination of a long recovery for the right-hander but also the bolstering of an already top-of-the-league rotation.

It meant that a New York Yankees‘ starting rotation led by names like Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón was regaining a former Cy Young winner to solidify the group and provide more flexibility down the line.

Many fans remember the spectacular 2024 postseason effort by Cole, in which he pitched to the tune of a 2.17 ERA across five playoff starts (29 IP). That postseason performance included two starts against the Dodgers in the World Series, allowing just one earned run over 12.2 innings against the eventual champions. Getting a pitcher like that back can change a lot.

While many questions surrounded Cole, he has performed nicely through his first four starts, posting a 2.45 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 22 innings.

Cole can turn this Yankees rotation into one of, if not the best in baseball, and certainly the fiercest in the American League.

Today, I am going to talk about how things have gone since Cole’s return, as well as a bit about how his performance could impact the rotation moving forward.

Early Things To Note

After the long recovery that comes with Tommy John surgery, most pitchers tend to experience certain readjustment pains when they return to the mound, such as with their command and velocity.

All of that may be even harder for Cole, who is 35 years old and will turn 36 in September; we aren’t exactly talking about a young arm making this recovery.

For Cole, the early starts have shown a lot of promise, as well as some things to watch for going forward.

One early positive from his starts has been seeing some solid velocity out of him. He’s averaging a healthy 96.8 mph on his fastball with an opponents’ batting average of just .194.

In his 2023 Cy Young campaign, Cole averaged 96.7 mph on the fastball with an opponent batting average of .202, even further showing that he can be like his former self, at least velocity-wise.

In Cole’s fourth start, he even hit a cool 100.0 mph on the radar gun, showing he still has that in the tank if needed.

After TJ at age 35, velocity was one of the biggest lingering questions about whether it could fully return, but Cole has certainly answered that question so far.

One thing to watch as he gets more starts under his belt would be his command. Two of his four starts have seen him allow three free passes (or HBP), and while it’s a small sample, of course, it’s just something to watch heading forward.

A Vintage Cole Performance

While Cole has only logged four major league starts in 2026, we have already been blessed as fans with a classic Cole-like shutdown performance in his second start.

Cole took the mound on May 27 in Kansas City to face the Royals for his second start of the year, looking to piggyback off his solid return start against division foe Tampa Bay the week prior.

Against the Rays, Cole allowed just two hits over six shutout frames, walking three and striking out two in the process. In that start, Cole showcased his entire arsenal, striking out a batter with each of his four pitches.

A contact-heavy team in the Rays certainly dampened Cole’s strikeout ability, but his second time out would look much more like the former Cy Young winner of the past.

Against the Royals, Cole punched out 10 over 6.2 innings, allowing just four hits, no walks, and no runs.

For reference, Cole’s last 10+ strikeout performance came on August 10, 2024 against the Texas Rangers. It was truly a sign that we are still going to see shades of the dominant ace.

His fastball velocity, which many people will be watching, reached 98.6 mph on the radar gun and sat around 95-97 mph.

The last part of this start that impressed was the fact that he did not walk a single batter, something he accomplished seven times during his 2023 Cy Young campaign.

While it was just one start, it was certainly a good feeling for Yankee fans to see him dominate again so quickly.

What’s Next?

A healthy, dominant Cole could greatly improve not only the Yankees’ rotation but also the team’s overall pitching depth.

With Cole healthy and now taking a rotation spot, the team will have too many starters when Max Fried returns from the injured list. That only means that somebody like Ryan Weathers will likely have to head to the bullpen when everyone is healthy.

This is a really good problem to have, and Cole’s return helped create such a situation.

When it comes to Cole himself, keeping an eye on how he pitches and recovers from start to start will be at the top of the priority list.

Yes, it’s good to have him back, but the Yankees would also like to keep him healthy and pitching. That will be the major key throughout the season for Cole: no setbacks.

The Yankees could have three potential No. 1s in their rotation, not even counting Carlos Rodón, come playoff time, and that will be quite the challenge for the rest of the American League.