New York Yankees: 2019 vs 2020 Gerrit Cole through eight starts
By Manny Gómez
Through 8 starts, New York Yankees fans have been disappointed by Gerrit Cole, but a quick comparison to 2019 tells an entirely different story.
It’s true, New York Yankees fans are spoiled. How could they not be? They’ve won 27 World Series titles in the last 100 years (about one in every four years), they haven’t finished a season with a sub-.500 record since 1992, and to start the 2020 MLB season they acquired arguably the best starting pitcher in MLB in Gerrit Cole in order to go for a 28th title.
Unfortunately, as it stands, Cole hasn’t quite appeared to be the dominant starter everyone thought he was. In fact, he’s been solid, but not in the category of (arguably) the best pitcher in baseball.
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Through eight games in 2020, Cole has a 4-2 record with a 3.91 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, and an 11.7 SO9. What’s more, he’s allowed a league-leading 12 HR this season.
Is this really the guy the Yankees forked over $324M for? Well, the answer basically is, yes!
In all actuality, if the Yanks paid Cole to be the version of himself he was in 2019, then so far they’re getting exactly what they paid for.
Why? Well, because Gerrit Cole has actually pitched better through his first eight games this season than he did through his first eight-game in 2019.
Last season, through his first 8 GS, Cole featured a 3-4 record with a 4.17 ERA, 1.056 WHIP, and a 13.54 SO9. He also allowed 8 HR, third-most in MLB at the time.
Not so impressive, huh? It’s what Cole did after his first 8 GS that earned him the big bucks.
In 2019, after his first 8 GS, Cole went on to post a 17-1 record with a 1.99 ERA, 0.851 WHIP, and a 13.98 SO9. As a result, he wound up the runner up in the AL Cy Young voting, though many believe he was the undisputed best pitcher in the American League.
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The point is, it’s too soon to hit the panic button on Gerrit Cole. Sure, given the number of injuries the team has suffered, you want Cole to be in mid-season form now. The problem is, it’s only been eight starts and he’s only just warming up.